New air route to facilitate China-Myanmar exchange, tourism

KUNMING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A new direct flight linking the border city of Mangshi, in southwest China's Yunnan Province to Mandalay of Myanmar will be launched at the end of this month.

Starting on Jan. 31, the DR5037/DR5038 flight will be operated by Boeing 737-700 aircraft every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

The flight, run by Ruili Airlines, departs Mangshi at 5:40 p.m. (local time) and returns from Mandalay at 7:10 p.m. A one-way trip takes about two hours.

Located on the eastern bank of the Irrawaddy River, Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar and boasts rich cultural and tourism resources.

Thanks to deepening cooperation between the two countries, an increasing number of Chinese people travel to Myanmar via the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture which administers Mangshi.