A direct air route was launched between central China's tourist city, Zhangjiajie, and Osaka, Japan, on Monday.

The flight is operated by an Airbus A321 of Sichuan Airlines, and flies twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays with a duration of 3 hours and 50 minutes.

The Zhangjiajie-Osaka flight 3U8405 departs at 11:55 a.m. Beijing time and arrives at 3:05 p.m. Beijing time in Osaka. The return flight 3U8406 departs at 4:05 p.m. Beijing time from Osaka and arrives at 7:55 p.m. Beijing time in Zhangjiajie.

The city of Zhangjiajie is home to several famous tourist spots. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, along with two other scenic spots, are part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, which was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage in 1992. An hour by train from the city is the Ancient Town of Fenghuang, one of the 10 provincial cultural heritages, located in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province. 

The city of Osaka is located by the Osaka Bay in the southwest of Honshu, the main island of Japan. As the capital city of Osaka Prefecture, it is an industrial and commercial center as well as a major transportation hub in the Kansai region. Osaka makes up one of Japan's largest metropolitan areas together with the neighboring cities including Kyoto and Kobe.

(Cover image: Sichuan Airlines. /VCG Photo)