BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- An underground tunnel came into operation Saturday in south China's Hainan Province to smooth transport for the upcoming annual Boao Forum of Asia (BFA).

The 1.45-kilometer two-way tunnel was built by the China Railway Construction Corporation and connects the founding site of BFA and its international conference center.

The tunnel cuts the commute time between the two places from 25 minutes to three minutes.

The forum, scheduled for April 8 to 11 in Boao, a town in the southern island province of Hainan, will have the theme "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity."