I am constantly amazed at Chinese railway infrastructure. Not just the metro that I wish was closer to DKU, but the gaotie that acts like veins linking together the whole of China. The gaotie is so ubiquitous in my mind that when I think of travelling to another part of China, I don’t look at the various airlines China has and their offerings. Instead, I would launch the 12306 app and search for trains to my destination. 

Frequent travelers know the high-speed trains intimately. However, there is also another type of train that runs on the gaotie system, the humble “slow-speed” trains. These are the trains that have a charming forest-green coat with yellow details and a matching rounded grey hat to top it off. Compared to the sleek, white and modern suit of its younger, perhaps hippier, brother, the slow-speed train might seem old, but is that such a bad thing? The slow-speed trains boast wide squarish windows that allow you to savor the scenery and landscape of your destination. They offer sleeper bunks for those long journeys and are also way cheaper than those high-speed trains.

While I can gush and romanticize the slow-speed trains all-day long, these trains could be a metaphor for China itself. It is easy to get caught up in the glamour and glitter of technologically advanced China – I certainly do. Look at Shanghai with its towering skyscrapers! Look at all the apps and wonders of online shopping with next day delivery! Even DKU, with its sharp edges and glass buildings, looks like we stepped into some futuristic utopia where doors swing open automatically. Alongside this image is the slender and sharp high-speed train, with its aerodynamic nose ensuring a fast and smooth trip. Yet, China is also the land of the slow-speed train. The land where you see people from all over, some with canyon-deep wrinkles, some with their babies wrapped around their bosoms, and some carrying huge plastic bags, stuffed to the brim with what I can only assume are things for their new home in the city. These are not people in business suits, with their iPhones making oh-so-important calls. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for those in business suits. In fact, the amazing economic growth of China from the 1980s to now is the reason why we all get to come to China, and probably the reason that China can invest so much in their railway infrastructure. But China is not just the high-speed trains or the metros or the high-rise buildings. China is also the land where migration to the city is rampant, where the Hu Huanyong line exists, where perhaps some people cannot afford to pay 3 times more for a faster train ride. 

I admit, the slow-speed train is slower than the high-speed train. Nevertheless, chugging at 160km/h, the slow-speed train mirrors the normal speed of trains in other parts of the world. So, maybe on your next trip, try taking the slow-speed train. You not only get to enjoy the amazing geography China has to offer while saving money, but also be reminded of the dualism that lies at essence of the modern Chinese nation.

P.S. If you are a bit on the taller side, the middle or lower bunks are more comfortable to sleep in. And if you go on a longer normal-speed train journey, remember to pack toilet paper!