China 2017

I have the impression that today was a day my fellow traveller was not looking forward to. We decided to take the train from Beijing to Xi’an as although the journey time at four and a half hours is longer than the flight, the overall travel time including airport check in security checks and baggage reclaim, plus the time taken to transfer to and from airports is likely to be shorter.

We arrive at Beijing South station and are confronted by crowds the like of which I have never seen before. People push and shove to pass through the identity and security checks. Once formalities are completed we arrive at the waiting room area. There are at least twelve waiting rooms on the level we are on, each waiting room has space for the passengers for two services.

 Hundreds of people are waiting for our train, and we begin to make a contingency plan for how we are going to make our way to the train and embark. We need not have worried. As soon as the boarding gate opens we proceed in an orderly fashion down an escalator and get on to our numbered carriage and place our luggage in the space provided. We then find our seat and relax.

We are onboard the G87 speeding down the rails at over 300kph, as smooth as you like with more room than an airline seat. I wonder how long this rail line took to build compared to the time it has taken the UK to debate HS2. 

Outside, even an hour after leaving Beijing the air is still heavy with pollution. I would estimate that visibility is not more than one mile at best, even with the sun high in the sky and no discernible cloud cover. 

Every now and again a lady calling out selling bags of food and drinks passes up and down the aisle. Some passengers have packed lunches with a variety of aromas. A lady with a brush and pan makes frequent trips up and down the train sweeping up peoples rubbish, including the sunflower seed husks from the man on the seat to our side who has been munching away like a parrot for the past hour.

We pass swathes of agricultural land, very green in parts with rapeseed distinguishable here and there, but still the pollution remains. There are small groups of people working the land, some with tractors but little evidence of what we would expect to see on farms at home. There is a noticeable lack of livestock too. Only in one place did I see a few goats being herded. What is astounding is the sheer number of building projects going on, roads layed but not used, residential tower blocks in the process of being built, railway lines built on stilts and industrial areas all around. I also notice that the lorries that we do see do not carry containers, but are more of the variety with open sides. I wonder where all the goods being shipped around the world from here are put in containers.

After only one stop from Beijing we pull in to Xi’an station two minutes early. Built five years ago specifically for the new fast trains a vast grey concrete construction. We wait on the concourse for our pick up. Mr Toni arrives, very cheery chap who bears a passing resemblance to Jackie Chan. Will try and get a picture.

About a twenty five minute drive to get to our hotel during which Mr Toni gives us a potted history of the city. I get the impression he is trying to rival the capital by explaining the longer history of the city and how much of Chinese history is concerned with the place, the influences of religion and the position it held as the centre of the empire, and how the city planning of straight intersecting roads is used as a model for cities all over the world  to this day. As we pass through the ancient city walls we can see the famous bell tower up ahead, colourfully lit from top to bottom in complete contrast to our grey journey and the environment in which it stands in the twenty first century.

I write this the day after my birthday, and on waking up I see there is a video message from my 4 year old grandson which is a nice surprise but pulls at the heart strings. Is also good to see his face from the other side of the world, Nanny had a lump in her throat too. Today we are out to explore the city and to see the Terracotta Army, a short distance away.