China Southern Airlines initiated flights from Zhuhai to Tibet Autonomous Region's Linzhi City on July 13 and to Daocheng County in Sichuan Province on Tuesday to build their economies through facilitated travel, exchange, and cooperation.

An Airbus A319 now departs Zhuhai at 6:20 am each Monday and Thursday. Designated as Flight OQ2081, it lays over in Chongqing from 8:25 to 9:25 am and arrives in Linzhi at 11:45 am. Return flight OQ2082 takes off at 12:25 pm, lays over from 2:45 to 3:45 pm and lands at 5:40 pm.

Maiden voyage of Zhuhai-Chongqing-Linzhi air route

OQ2083 -- the Zhuhai-Chongqing-Daocheng hop -- departs at 7:10 am, stops over from 9:20 to 10:25 am and arrives at 11:55 am every Tuesday and Friday, while OQ2084 leaves at 12:50 pm and stops over from 2:30 to 3:40 pm before arriving at 5:35 pm.

The city of Zhuhai was paired up with Daocheng in 2015 and Linzhi in 2016 to assist in poverty alleviation. The opening of the air routes by Zhuhai and China Southern Airlines is a major boost in eliminating poverty and tapping into the Greater Bay Area aviation market, said Wang Changjiang, chairman of China Southern Airlines Zhuhai. The strategic cooperation agreement was signed on June 2.

Located in the southeast Tibet Autonomous Region, Linzhi borders Lhasa in the west, neighbors Yunnan Province in the east, and shares a boundary with India and Burma in the south. In addition to enjoying fascinating peach blossoms in spring and diversified ethnic cultures, visitors can relax at Basum Lake, Tibet's sole 5A-level scenic spot, soar in a hot-air balloon over Namcha Barwa, China's picturesque snow-covered mountain, and swing out over cliffs at Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon -- the world's deepest.

Daocheng Yading Nature Reserve -- the "last pure land on our blue planet" -- is in southwestern Sichuan at the border with Yunnan Province and 800 km (497 miles) from Chengdu, the provincial capital. It beckons nature lovers with snowy mountains, forests, wild animals, starry nights, and distinctive folk residences. The mountainous Chongqing Municipality is popular among gourmands with hot pot, barbecues, and pevuvian apple herb.

Snow-covered mountain in Daocheng [Photos courtesy Guanhai App]