The Smells, Sights, Tastes, Feel, and Sounds of a Sleeper Train in China

To and from Beijing, in order to catch a plane back to the US, I took an overnight "sleeper" train from Xi'an. Because America has the worst trains in the world (probably not actually, but in comparison to Europe and Asia...), most Americans don't get the chance to take an overnight train unless they're overseas. This recent trip was actually my first time taking a sleeper train in China, and it was...an experience. My trip there was perfect- so easy, so simple, very comfortable, and I made a friend! My trip home was not as great due to a loud snoring Chinese man next to me, and my continuing jet lag from my recent return flight to China. From Xi'an to Beijing (620 miles), you can either plane or train. The plane is "expensive" (as in, my one-way ticket to Xi'an from Beijing in January was $120USD), although there are some bargain deals out there if you look hard enough (my friend Thomas got a plane ticket for 120RMB, about $30USD). If you chose to train, you have 2 choices: 高铁 (high speed train) or the regular train. The high speed train takes about 5 hrs, and costs almost as much as a plane ticket (usually over 900rmb). To save money (and for the adventure), I chose the overnight train, which took about 14 hrs and cost 270rmb (about $40USD). I've decided to give you a 5-senses tour of my train ride. But first, let me set the scene:

When you first arrive at the train station, you are greeted by a grandiose building with european-style architecture (at first glance, you might think it was a palace or at least a government building). After presenting you ticket and ID are several security checkpoints, you go through the baggage scanner, which is maybe one of the most stressful parts of the whole experience. First, you disentangle all your bags off your body and put them on a large scanner (like what you see at a customs check at the airport). Then you and several vicious grandmas all push and scramble through the human scanner in order to grab your bags before someone steals them. (Note: I've never actually seen or heard of someone's bags being stolen right in front of them, but hey, it could happen) And of course people are milling about by the baggage scanner so the situation is further complicated by masses of people blocking your way. Then you make your way to the waiting room for your train, which never has enough seats so it's filled with people sitting on their luggage all over the room. When it's time for your train to board, everyone crowds around the boarding door and pushes (again, beware of the vicious grandmas), even though most people have assigned seats. (Note: Yes, there are some very unfortunate patrons who buy "Standing Room Only" tickets. For these people, I actually see the point of pushing to get on because they want to the best spots to stand in). Now the train ride begins...

Sights:

When you first get on the train, you walk down a long hallway to find your compartment:

I was in a "hard sleeper" compartment, which meant there were 3 beds on each side of the compartment. The 2nd and 3rd bunks don't have enough room to sit up so those 4 people end up either sitting on the poor bottom bunk person's bed, or- if they're lucky- they sit on the two small fold-down chairs in the hallway area (see above). Clearly the bottom bunk is the best place to be in this scenario (I know, I know, contrary to years of fighting for the "cool" top bunk as a kid). In between the two sets of bunks, there is about 2 feet of space where someone can shove a suitcase. Here's Allie and I on her bottom bunk: 

Notice the sad amount of space between the bunks, and the terrifying height of the top bunk:

To get up to the high bunks, there is a small ladder (or on my 2nd train, just 1 fold-down stair) to help you boost yourself up there. Needless to say, it can be treacherous with the lurching of the train and passersby in the hallway area. 

Another "sight" worth mentioning: the bathroom. Bathrooms on trains and planes are never pleasant, but these are some of the worst I've ever seen. Many people chose to enjoy instant noodles on their train rides (Note: ALWAYS bring your own food on the train. Even if there is a snack car, don't do it.), and when they are done with them, they usually dump the leftovers down the sink or the toilet. (The trash is usually full within 5 minutes of the 14 hr ride). The bathroom is a squat toilet, of course. So image trying to aim down that squat toilet, especially if you're like most foreigners who can't do the asian squat, amidst the back-and-forth jerking of the train. Ya, you get the picture. It's not pretty. 

Sounds:

-snoring: As mentioned earlier, my return train trip was haunted by the sounds of an old Chinese man sleeping in the bunk next to me. There was no escape. 

-the shouts of the cart ladies: More prevalent on my first train ride, the evening is full of ladies pushing carts of magazines, alcohol, toiletries, food, cigarettes, and more through the hallway, yelling to advertise their wears all the while. Most of the time, I don't even know what they're saying, but one thing is always certain- there voices are high and shrill. The carts themselves are also a bit rickety so you can hear them coming even before the saleswomen start their shouting. And every once in awhile, you hear the Chinese equivalent of an "ow!" or "hey!" when they cart hits an elbow or a knee. 

-the train itself: Because this is not one of the newer fancy trains, you can hear the constant sound of the train running on the rails. I actually kind of like the rhythmic humming, but it can get irritating for some people. 

-people's entertainment devices: Many Chinese people are so generous on the train that they don't bother with headphones while watching a movie or tv show, or playing a game because they want to share the lovely melodic songs of guns, dying people, annoying cartoon characters, exploding balloons, etc. with the whole train. Most of these sounds come from iPad's so they're not that loud, but still pretty irritating. 

-hacking: Yes, hacking up of flem in your throat...And you thought the sound was bad? Just wait until your bunk mate on the 3rd bunk spits their flem down onto the floor on your compartment...SPLAT! And there it stays until morning...

Smells:

-cigarette smoke: Like in most public places in China, cigarette smoking is allowed on Chinese trains. I think technically it's only in the bathroom/sink area, but the scent travels. I never truly appreciated the US's no-smoking laws until coming to China. 

-Chinese BO: Through my world travels, I have noticed that every culture, based on what they eat, produces a different body odor. In China, they smell contains hints of garlic, ginger, cigarettes, and onions. Very pleasant. 

-Instant Noodles: As mentioned earlier, Instant Noodles are a popular choice of train food. To me, it seems rather dangerous because you have to fill the plastic bowl/cup with boiling water and then precariously carry it back to your bed without scorching yourself. I prefer a simple PB&J or Subway sandwich when available. 

Tastes:

-sunflower seeds: Another popular past-time in Chinese culture is eating sunflower seeds. They take awhile to eat because you first have to crack them in your teeth, then pry out the tiny seed before eating. I generally don't enjoy working too much for my food (I don't particularly enjoy crab or lobster for this reason) so I tend to pass on the sunflower seeds. But when salted and covered in chocolate, I'm a big fan. On the train though, many people simply throw their seeds directly onto the floor. Charming. 

Hmmm, ya that's about it for tastes. Luckily, the train ride does not require a lot of tasting.

Feel:

-your bed & blankets: The only major difference between the hard sleeper and the soft sleeper is the comfort of the bed, and the number of bunks per compartment (soft sleeper's only have 4 bunks). The hard sleeper is pretty hard, but as far as Chinese beds go, rather typical. The thin "mattress" is covered by a single sheet, then topped with a dense blanket and a pillow. All of these items are probably not washed consistently, but that's just a guess...In general, the bedding is a bit scratchy so I prefer to use my coat to cover my upper body. I also found my pillow to be rather uncomfortable because I slept on my purse, backpack, and extra carry-on for security purposes. I'm sure the pillow itself isn't that bad. 

-cold: Most people chose to position their heads by the window/outside wall, which is rather cold. So get ready for a long chilly night. 

Despite all of the seemingly awful aspects of the train ride, I really enjoyed my first trip. I slept great and was only awoken at 8am because the train conductor assistant lady came and physically shook me awake to take my ticket. RUDE awakening to say the least. On both my train rides, the lights went out at 10pm and came back on at 7am to ensure a nice, peaceful 9 hours of sleep for everyone on board. 

And there's one gem that I most point out about my first trip down- I made a lovely friend! Allie (a fellow Xi'an-based Fulbrighter coming to enjoy a Beijing weekend) and I sat down on Allie's bunk, and began chatting as the train left. After several hours of sleep, Allie dosed off and the older (mid-50s) Chinese man sitting at the table in the hallway (so like 2 ft away from the bed) starting asking me questions about my research on women's issues. A father of a young 20-something year old daughter, he loved the work I was doing. He was very disappointed in the status of Chinese women today, and felt that Chinese women's position in society should have increased dramatically along with the country's economic growth. He of course wanted to know how women's rights in the US and "the west" compared to Chinese women's rights as well. This discussion then led into US politics. I told him  my opposition to the Iraq War (Note: Many Chinese people opposed, and even protested, against the US invasion of Iraq in 2002 because they saw it as an infringement of Iraqi National Sovereignty- a big concept in Chinese political culture) to which he surprisingly disagreed. Instead, he thought the US has a duty to "liberate", "free", and "rescue" all people suffering under an unjust government worldwide. He said, "The US is the only country powerful enough to undertake this mission. They have a duty, as the world hegemon, to be the world's policeman too." He made a very interesting, although I think too overly simple, analogy- "Imagine a few men with knives," (because guns are banned in China so that's not even a possibility) "come into the this train car and start threatening all the women and children. As a moderately strong man, I have a duty to defend these women, don't I? I could pretend to be asleep or simply turn my head and say it's not my responsibility  but that would be wrong, wouldn't it?" (Of course this was all in Chinese). And then we discussed other humanitarian interventions- Syria, Libya, Darfur...He totally respected and understood my perspective as well, but we had a vibrant debate over the US role in International Conflict. I also expressed to him that, of course, this was just my personal opinion, not that of the US government or even the majority of the US people. After almost 2 hours of talking, the lights suddenly went out. He gave me his card, and said he would love to continue our discussions back in Xi'an. As I was getting up, he also said "Thank you so much for talking with me. This is the first time I've ever truly interacted with an American, and it has really been eye-opening and fascinating for me to hear about your culture and your thoughts. It has made my day." AHHHH THIS IS TOTALLY WHAT FULBRIGHT IS ALL ABOUT!!!!!!!!! TOTAL NERD FREAK OUT!!!!!!! 

So in conclusion, the train ride has many inconveniences, but also many hidden gems. It is what you make it, but it'll certainly be an adventure!