A PASSENGER train tailored for transporting tourists to Kashgar in Xinjiang disembarked from Shenzhen for the first time Monday, carrying 500 travelers for a 16-day trip that covers 5,000 kilometers.

The operation of the tourism train called Shenxin (an abbreviation of Shenzhen and Xinjiang) was jointly initiated by several supporting agencies: the commanding office of the Shenzhen Counterpart Aid Work in Xinjiang, Kashgar and Shenzhen tourism bureaus, Shenzhen Travel Association and the Guangzhou Railway Group Corp. It was organized by Guangdong Railway Youth International Travel Service, Eachtravel Shenzhen and Shenzhen Port China Travel Service. It is part of Shenzhen’s efforts to support Xinjiang’s economic and tourism development.

Along the route, the train will pass by historic towns and cities such as Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan and Korla, giving tourists a chance to visit the famous seven-colored Danxia Landform in Zhangye, an AAAAA-rated ancient town; a naturally formed desert oasis; relics of the ancient Silk Road and the charming sight of Lake Karakuri and Mount Muztagata, called “the father of ice mountains,” which is 190 kilometers from Kashgar.

The travelers can also make a visit to the Shenzhen City and Shenzhen Industrial Park that Shenzhen helped build in Kashgar.