This aerial photo taken on Nov. 25, 2023 shows a section of the Lijiang-Shangri-La railway in Lijiang City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

KUNMING, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A railway linking the cities of Lijiang and Shangri-la, two well-known tourist destinations in southwest China's Yunnan Province, opened to traffic on Sunday, according to local authorities.

With the operation of the Lijiang-Shangri-la railway, the fastest travel time between the two cities will be 1 hour and 18 minutes.

The 139-km railway also connects Shangri-la, in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, to the provincial capital Kunming.

The new line will help improve transportation in ethnic minority areas, which will promote national unity, consolidate border stability, and promote Yunnan's high-quality development, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.