Part 2: Experience China by railway
Within China, I will be travelling almost exclusively by train. This is not a romantic decision, but a very practical one - and an enlightening one at that.
Here, the railway is the backbone of the country, a means of everyday transport and a logistical masterpiece at the same time. Stations, trains, processes, travellers: All this tells us a lot about a country, its organisation and its people. For someone who has been involved with railways and model railways for years, this is more than just locomotion - it is a constant comparison between role model, perception and reality.
Many impressions are formed not through conversation, but through observation: At the security gate, without which there is no access to the station. In the waiting areas, as the platforms are only opened shortly before the train arrives and only tickets and ID documents grant access. On the platform, where travellers line up at areas marked on the floor where the train with the specified carriages stops. In the open-plan compartments, where many travellers crowd together shortly before the Chinese New Year and the largely friendly, but also partly indifferent way people treat each other.
Now some impressions of the first train journey.
Enjoy looking at the pictures!
