"Panda train" in China brings new travel experience to tourists

At 5:10 p.m., China's "panda train" Y152 taking 459 passengers pulled out of the Chengdu West Railway Station, southwest China's Sichuan province, embarking on a 16-day journey to multiple popular tourist attractions in northeast China, such as Beiji village or "North Pole village" located at China's northernmost city Mohe, Heilongjiang province, and the Tianchi Lake on Changbai Mountain, Jilin province.

With panda images painted on its body, the panda-themed tourist train offered throw pillows printed with panda patterns and panda-shaped pastries, attracting many tourists to take on.

A tourist poses for a photo by a "panda train." (Photo from the official account of China Railway on WeChat)

Stepping into a carriage, passenger Liao Yong saw a washroom, a locker room, and a shower cubicle located on both ends. In his cabin, there were two double-deck berths, clean and tidy. The cabin was equipped with a television, an attendant call device and a storage cabinet. Liao even surprisingly found a socket beside his berth, which allowed him to charge his phone at anytime.

As suppertime neared, Liao went to the dining carriage with his friends, where they were welcomed by a wide array of delicacies, such as panda-shaped rice balls with nori and panda-shaped tangyuan made of glutinous rice and black rice. There were also many appetizing exquisite Sichuan dishes, including cold pot skewers, spicy Dan Dan noodles and leaf-wrapped sticky rice buns.

"I heard there is also an entertainment carriage, where passengers can sing karaoke and drink tea. It just feels so good," said Liao.

He said that the "panda train" offered a relaxing travel experience after retirement as he could enjoy the scenery and have a good rest onboard.

The panda-themed train is a high-end boutique tourist train operated by China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd. Travelers can take the "panda train" to experience cultures and ethnic features in different parts of China. With multiple functions including transportation, accommodation and entertainment, the train named after Shifang, a county-level city in Sichuan, was developed to meet the emerging tourism needs of the silver-hair group, and well combined tourism resources in northeast China, including natural scenery, folk customs, history and culture.

A face-changing performance of Sichuan Opera is staged on a "panda train." (Photo from the official account of China Railway on WeChat)

"Compared to conventional tourist trains, the panda train is equipped with more facilities, such as smart locks, entertainment devices and thermostatic showers. It also provides customized services for different tourist groups, including afternoon tea and karaoke activities," said train conductor Zheng Li.

According to statistics, the "panda train" has made 84 trips since it started operation in March 2021, offering more than 20,000 passenger trips to multiple tourist attractions, such as Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu province, Urumqi in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Ejin banner in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Xishuangbanna in southwest China's Yunnan province and Yantai in east China's Shandong province. It perfectly combines sightseeing with train travel, meeting travelers' need for a flexible journey.

"Since this year, there has been a growing demand for the train among tourists in Sichuan, southwest China's Chongqing, and southwest China's Guizhou province. So far, we have launched over 200 tourist trains, handling nearly 100,000 tourist trips," said Chen Xuan, head of Sichuan Southwest Rail International Travel Agency of Sichuan Chengdu Railway International Business Travel Group.

According to Chen, the "panda train" has launched multiple tourism routes covering major tourist attractions across China for travelers to appreciate the country's rich historical sites, natural landscape and delicious food.

With tourism routes centered around seasonal features and innovative tourism products, the "panda train" offers unique travel experiences, meeting the needs of the Chinese tourism market for personalized, comfortable, convenient, and diverse travel options.

Photo shows panda-shaped pastries and Sichuan dishes provided on a "panda train." (Photo from the official account of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism on WeChat)