Onward to "poetry and the distant lands," let's set forth!

Recently, the first dedicated base station for tourist trains in our country, Anjing Station, was put into use in Chengdu. The China State Railway Group held a site meeting on the integration of railway and tourism here, where tourist trains such as the "Silk Road Dream Enjoyment Train," "Panda Special Train Comfort Train," "Panda Special Train Shifang Train," "Yichun Train," and "Forest Capital Train" were unveiled collectively.

In recent years, the railway tourism market has continued to heat up, giving rise to high-end tourist trains, which signify the release of high-quality tourism demand and represent a new initiative in the integration of "railway + tourism" in China's cultural and tourism market.

"Silk Road Dream" train doors and exterior. Photo by reporter Xie Jiao, Xinhua News Agency.

Since the beginning of this year, tourist trains such as "Silk Road Dream Enjoyment", "Panda Special Train Shifang", "Yichun", and "Starlight Lancang-Mekong" have been successively launched. Numerous tourists have boarded these trains, traversing deserts, traveling along the Silk Road, passing through "Qin Moon and Han Pass", and wandering along the scenic line of Chinese civilization.

These tourist trains feature unique exterior designs, some incorporating elements from Dunhuang murals, others themed around adorable pandas; they offer comfortable lounges, oversized panoramic windows, ultra-quiet design cabins, smart home systems, and regional creative gourmet delights... The tourist trains are like "star-rated hotels" on rails, meeting the needs of domestic and international tourists for high-quality travel experiences.

"Panda Special Train Chengdu" pastries. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Kun.

It is a walking cultural exchange business card – Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company and Fosun Group jointly launched the "Silk Road Dream Enjoyment" train, dedicated to spreading Silk Road culture. The route starts from Xining, passing through Haiyan, Golmud, Dachaidan, and ending in Dunhuang, covering five days and four nights. Along the way, passengers can enjoy views of deserts, Gobi, and salt lakes.

Interior of the "Silk Road Dream" train. Photo by reporter Xie Jiao, Xinhua News Agency.

The "Starlight Lancang-Mekong" train running between Kunming, China and Vientiane, Laos, has become a friendly ambassador for "railway + culture + tourism" between the two countries. The "Yichun" train traveling across the Northeast region has signed charter agreements with domestic and foreign tourism service companies. A Singaporean couple specially took wedding photos in the panoramic photography carriage, expressing that they want to "permanently cherish the moments of the beautiful China."

It is a reassuring "silver-haired tourism" companion—China Railway Chengdu Group has increased the adaptation of its conventional trains for the elderly, launching the tourism brand "Panda Special Train." In this month, on the "Panda Special Train Shifang" silver-haired tourism train from Chengdu to Xinjiang, reporters saw that the compartments had added railings, handrails, reduced the height of thresholds, and set up a medical room, emergency call devices, etc. The washroom not only had hot water foot spray nozzles but also specially added anti-slip mats. The average age of tourists on this train exceeded 60 years.

"Retired, with plenty of time, I want to see the beautiful landscapes of our country. The renovated tourist trains are quite friendly to the elderly," commented an elderly tourist.

Panda Special Train Chengdu: Cabins and Corridors. Photo by Liu Kun, Xinhua News Agency.

The "Panda Special Train Shifang" service staff are multilingual, have obtained Red Cross first aid certificates before taking up their posts, and are accompanied by two professional medical personnel on the train; the "Yichun" train is equipped with a traditional Chinese medicine consultation room and a wellness center... These arrangements make "silver-haired tourism" more spontaneous and also meet the needs of accompanying family members.

CRRC Chengdu Bureau continuously introduces elderly-friendly line designs, which have radiated to multiple provinces and cities across the country. Since the beginning of this year, it has cumulatively served over 100 million elderly tourists for travel, accounting for .% of the total number of tourists.

It is a boundless flow of creative "new space" – it can become a mobile learning classroom. Guangzhou Railway Bureau of China Railway has developed study tour special trains such as the Xianggan border area, Shenzhen to Shaoshan, and Shenzhen to Jinggangshan, enriching teaching scenarios around the needs of student study tours, making "reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles" a reality.

It is an open-air study on the move, where one can lower their head to read and raise it to gaze at the mountains; it is a unique tea room and coffee bar, where the mouth and teeth savor the aroma and the eyes are drawn into the painting... The enormous carrying capacity and the scenic views along the way make the new spaces opened up by "train+" full of infinite possibilities.

The tourist train has transcended the concept of traditional transportation, integrating new attributes such as tourism, lifestyle, consumption, and social interaction, giving rise to new scenarios and business models. "We aim to allow domestic and international tourists to experience the unique charm of Chinese culture during their travels, to receive wisdom in the fusion of past and present, and to be filled with creativity," said Wen Xiaodong, Vice President of Fosun International.

The development prospects of tourist trains are promising. The operating mileage of China's railways has exceeded 10,000 kilometers, with high-speed rail operating mileage surpassing 37,000 kilometers, ranking first in the world. At the same time, China has formed the world's largest domestic tourism market. It is highly feasible to transform railways from a single transportation function to support the development of the tourism economy.

The relevant department head of the China State Railway Group stated that this year, the group has intensified the development of special tourist trains. Since its operation, the "Silk Road Dream Enjoyment" train has seen enthusiastic ticket purchases from overseas tourists; the "Panda Special Train Comfort" has cumulatively operated for a certain number of trips, achieving transportation revenue in the millions; the "Forest Capital" train plans to operate for a certain number of trips this winter, with all seats sold out... Along the ten thousand-li railway line, there is a yearning for a better life, and the full vitality of a "flowing China" is evident.

Come on, hop on the tourist train, and let's enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the mountains and rivers together, experiencing the charm of Chinese culture!