Special tourist train with mostly seniors embarks on a two-week journey

A train adorned in a fiery red dress with a golden phoenix pattern departed from Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, on Wednesday, and headed toward the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region with 264 passengers.

Jointly developed by China Railway Guangzhou Group and Hunan Tourism Group, the Xiaoxiang tourist special train will take a two-week journey, connecting the magnificent iconic mountains and rivers of Xinjiang, Qinghai and Gansu provinces along the way.

It is the first specially designed travel train for the elderly in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, providing a new and comfortable travel option for seniors.

Among the first group of passengers on the train, about 65 percent are aged 60 and above, with nearly half of them coming from the Greater Bay Area.

The train provides 20 caretakers, six chefs, six senior tour guides and a medical team accompanying the journey, according to Liu Hao, deputy general manager of Guangdong Tieqing International Travel Agency.

"It is not just a tourist train but serves as a link – it precisely caters to the needs of the elderly who desire comfortable and leisurely travel experiences and also deeply integrates the cultural and tourism resources of Xinjiang, Qinghai and Gansu," said Liu.

Guan Jinghuan contributed to this story.