A Malaysian Airline Boeing 737 with 139 passengers touched down Saturday afternoon in Guilin City, a famous resort of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking the beginning of direct air links between Guilin and Kuala Lumpur.

The charter flight from Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, was created to enhance ties between the two cities in the field of tourism, according to tourism officials in Guangxi.

Previously, travelers had to make a detour via Hong Kong.

The plane will make a round trip once every Saturday.

(China Daily September 7, 2003)