Chongqing attracts young people looking for slow travel experiences

During the recently-concluded Labor Day holiday, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality provided a memorable travel experience for many tourists, who opted to take slow-paced, nostalgia-themed trips in the city.

Passengers pose for a picture with train 5621. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Xu)

At about 10 a.m. every day during the holiday, train 5612, a public welfare slow train, departed from Chongqing Railway Station for Neijiang city in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, which is 285 kilometers away.

The whole journey takes more than seven hours, as the train runs at a speed of about 40 kilometers per hour. Luo Jiangjun, the train’s crew leader, explained that in addition to providing passenger service, the train also opened a space for tourists to snap pictures and enjoy life at a relaxed pace..

Photo shows the interior of train 5621. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Xu)

According to Luo, train 5612, which belongs to China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd., is the only passenger train that still runs along the Chengdu-Chongqing line. The railway bureau launched train 5612 with the aim of creating an atmosphere of nostalgia for passengers and to enrich their travel experience, said Luo.

During the holiday, Meixin Wine Town, a scenic area in Chongqing, charged each tourist a small fee of 18.99 yuan ($2.85) for a two-day-long cable car-riding experience inside the scenic area, in a bid to help tourists experience the joy of slow-paced travel.

Photo shows a sign which reads “A trip of memories” seen on the window of train 5621. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Xu)

Tourists take cable cars in a scenic area in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality during the Labor Day holiday. (Chinanews.com/Yang Xiaoyong)

Photo shows a sign which reads “A slow train of public welfare” on train 5621. (Chinanews.com/Zhang Xu)