My Epic Train Journey Across China: From Guangzhou to Xinjiang

🚂 Part 1: Guangzhou North → Chongqing North (Slow Sleeper Train K1172)

• Duration: ~22 hours

• Class: Hard Sleeper (硬卧)

• Experience:

  • Boarded at Guangzhou North Station, a quieter alternative to Guangzhou Station.

  • The slow train wound through Guangdong’s lush mountains, then into Guizhou’s karst landscapes by dawn.

  • Shared a compartment with a mix of migrant workers, students, and travelers—great for practicing Mandarin!

  • Best moment: Sunset over the Wujiang River as we entered Chongqing.

🚄 Part 2: Chongqing West → Rongchang North (High-Speed Train G8534)

• Duration: ~1 hour

• Class: Second Class (二等座)

• Experience:

  • Switched to Chongqing West Station (a futuristic transport hub) for the bullet train.

  • The G8534 zipped through Sichuan’s rolling hills at 250 km/h—barely had time to finish my instant noodles!

  • Rongchang North Station was tiny but efficient, with spicy Chongqing street food stalls outside.

🚂 Part 3: Chengdu West → Aksu, Xinjiang (Slow Sleeper Train K452)

• Duration: ~48 hours

• Class: Soft Sleeper (软卧)

• Experience:

  • Departed Chengdu West Station (less crowded than Chengdu East), heading northwest.

  • First day: Green Sichuan farmlands → Gansu’s deserts → Qilian Mountains at dusk.

  • Second day: Entered Xinjiang—watched the Taklamakan Desert roll by for hours.

  • Cultural shift: Uyghur vendors boarded at Korla, selling naan and dried fruit.

  • Arrival: Aksu’s station felt like the edge of the world—dusty and remote, with Tianshan peaks in the distance.