The first "Qilu Star" elderly tourist train of the year departs from Chengyang Station in Qingdao on March 16. [Photo/Jinan Times]

The first "Qilu Star" elderly tourist train of the year departed from Chengyang Station in Qingdao on March 16, carrying over 670 elderly passengers and embarking on a 14-day spring tour of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Jiangxi provinces.

As the tour's first station in the Qingdao area, Chengyang Station has spared no effort to provide better travel services for elderly passengers.

This special train passes through places such as Kunming, Guiyang, Yingtan, and Jiujiang. In addition to attractions and a comfortable itinerary, it also provides upgraded services for the elderly.

During the tour, renowned traditional Chinese painter Wu Dongkui will create artworks on-site. Ethnic minority artists from Guizhou and Yunnan will interact and celebrate with passengers, transforming the train car into a mobile cultural salon.

This year, 22 elderly tourist trains will travel along 11 popular routes in Northeast China, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Macao, Fujian and more. To provide better travel services for elderly passengers, local travel agencies will launch both online and physical registration windows.

Additionally, Chengyang district will introduce themed routes to attractions in Qingdao and issue dining and accommodation vouchers to unleash the potential of the "silver economy".