China launches 1,737 tourist trains in first 11 months of 2024

China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) launched 1,737 tourist trains in the first months of 2024, up 17.6 percent year on year.

Among the standout offerings is the panda-themed tourist train launched by China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

Introduced more than three years ago, the panda train tourism project includes three tourist trains, offering diverse services to passengers.

A tourist train named Lindu, meaning "forest capital," runs on a railway line in the Lesser Hinggan Mountains in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Photo/Li Yu)

Decorated with panda images, these panda trains featuring throw pillows printed with panda patterns and panda-shaped pastries are popular among tourists. A panda train named after Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, stands out with its advanced sound isolation technology and well-appointed accommodations, including standard double rooms and family suites, each equipped with a private bathroom.

Travelers can take the panda trains to multiple destinations in 31 provincial-level regions, including Sichuan Province and northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Some tourist trains offer tailor-made tourism services. On Aug. 2, the tourist train Y201 arrived in Beijing after a trip to Xinjiang.

The tourist train offered specially prepared meals suitable for elderly passengers, including Xinjiang cuisine, said a retired teacher from Haidian district in Beijing.

"It's a tourist train for the silver-haired group," said Fan Mengwei, an economist of China Railway Travel Service Group Co. Ltd.

A cross-border tourist train, connecting China and Laos, passes through the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang, and arrives in Vientiane, capital of Laos. The tourist train features a tour package of six nights and seven days.

In northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, a tourist train named Lindu, meaning "forest capital," allows tourists to enjoy the magnificent view of the Lesser Hinggan Mountains. The tourist train currently operates 12 trips annually, each lasting nine nights and 10 days while covering over 5,000 kilometers through destinations like Fuyuan, Mohe, Yichun, and Hulun Buir, according to Zhang Fusheng, a senior economist at China Railway Harbin Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

China Railway Xi'an Bureau Group Co., Ltd. in northwest China's Shaanxi Province has launched tourist trains according to seasonal factors and local characteristics, including those for leisure tours and winter tourism around the Qinling Mountains.

On Dec. 6, the tourist train Y666/7/6 carried over 100 tourists for a tour of many famous scenic areas around the Qinling Mountains.

The tourist train connects scenic spots scattered across the Qinling Mountains, making up for the regret of not being able to visit them together during a regular trip, said a tourist surnamed Li from Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province.