KUNMING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday launched its longest high-speed train service, from Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, to Beijing.

The train, named "Shangri-la of the World," left Kunming at 11:05 a.m. on a 2,760-km trip to Beijing, which takes about 13 hours. The train's name highlights the world famous resort in Shangri-la of Yunnan, a name first appearing in British novelist James Hilton's "Lost Horizon."

A ticket for a second-class seat on the train from Kunming to Beijing costs 1,147.5 yuan (166 U.S. dollars).