A ceremony is held as the Jitai tourist train makes its first trip in 2021, on April 20. [Photo/cnjiwang.com]

The Jitai (Jilin-Altay) tourist-dedicated train departed Changchun – capital city of Northeast China's Jilin province on April 20 – marking the service's first journey in 2021, according to local media reports.

The tourist train, carrying some 400 passengers, is scheduled to reach Altay Prefecture in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in 15 days, passing through the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Gansu province and North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Excited tourists take the train to get to Altay Prefecture in Xinjiang. [Photo/cnjiwang.com]

In the wake of agreements reached by the Jilin and Xinjiang governments on March 12, both sides plan to work closer together in the development of the winter tourism industry and to boost regional exchanges.

The special tourist train service was reportedly launched to promote the unique landscape, as well as the tourism industry in the Altay Prefecture.