Harbin special trains carry tourists to Altay

A special train carrying 500 tourists arrived at Beitun Railway Station in Altay city in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region at 17:00 on July 2. The arrival marked the beginning of this year’s Harbin-Altay train tourism service.

Tourists will head to the scenic sites of Burqin county by bus.

The special train service is Harbin’s attempt of boosting economic and cultural communication between the two cities. Meanwhile, it’s also a measure for Heilongjiang province to help Altay get rid of poverty by developing the tourism industry.

The “Longtai” tourist train operates from July to September, making 10 journeys along the 9,000-kilometer railway route and crossing 33 cities in 10 provinces and autonomous regions.

The train will pass through Heilongjiang province, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Gansu province, and Ningxia Hui autonomous region before finally arriving in Altay city. The train service offers tourists a chance to appreciate the beautiful scenery, including dense forests, vast grasslands, desolate deserts and majestic mountains.

The train service is mainly targeted at middle aged and elderly tourists. The trains are equipped with modern facilities with comfortable beds, allowing tourists to enjoy a pleasant journey at a slow pace during the 15-day travel period.

In 2017, four tourist trains operated on the same railway travel route, bringing around 3,000 tourists to Altay, a popular tourist destination in Xinjiang.

This year, the number of tourists visiting Altay through “Longtai” tourist train is anticipated to exceed 10,000.