SHENYANG - A train tour was launched in Northeast China over the May Day holiday to take South Korean tourists to the Changbai Mountains bordering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The first tour started in Dandong city in Liaoning province on Friday, carrying 64 South Koreans who had flown to Dalian city in Liaoning province from Seoul and reached Dandong by bus. The train returned to Dandong on Sunday.

The train has eight cars with eight or 24 soft berths in each. Travel time from Dandong to the Changbai Mountains scenic spot in neighboring Jilin province is about ten hours.

The train tour service was jointly organized by Dandong Railway International Travel Service and a South Korean travel agency. The two travel agencies plan to organize 5,000 South Korean tourists to travel to Dandong between May and October.

The train tour is in trial operations and makes a round trip every four days, said Meng Li, a clerk with Dandong Railway International Travel Service.

The train will operate with more cars and be open to Chinese tourists during the summer peak tourism season, added Meng.