Tourist train goes into service between Chinese city and DPRK

A tourist train in northeast China's Jilin province went into service on Saturday, offering trips between the city of Tumen and Chilbo Mountain in the neighboring Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

A total of 65 Chinese tourists took the train into the DPRK for its first trip and will spend three days and four nights in the country, said Zhao Renjie, deputy director of the Tumen Municipal Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Tourism.

The tourists walked for about 20 minutes to the city of Namyang in the DPRK, which is separated from Tumen by a river, before boarding the train, Zhao said.

The group will visit Mount Chilbo and the city of Chongjin in Hamgyong, and hot spring spas in Kyongsong County during their stay, Zhao said.

The train, which will make one trip between the cities each week, went into service as part of Jilin's efforts to promote cultural exchanges with the DPRK. The province launched a one-day walking tour of Namyang in May 2008.

China decided to grant approved outbound destination status to the DPRK in September 2008. The first Chinese group tour to the DPRK took place on April 12, 2010.