China's first panda-themed tourist train, known as the "Panda train" left Chengdu Railway Station in Sichuan's provincial capital for Zunyi in neighboring Cuizhou province on Sunday night. The train is decorated with giant panda images, and attendants carry panda toys and passengers can even try panda-shaped food. The "panda train" will start operation on March 28. It will serve on fixed lines and customized lines to connect tourist attractions in Sichuan and neighboring provinces.
In the future, the train will operate on a number of rail lines linking Chengdu and Chongqing, Chongqing and Guiyang, Shanghai and Kunming in Sichuan, Guzhou provinces and Chongqing municipality (自治区).
Ticket offer:
The three-day trip costs 1,280 yuan, including food, accommodation and entrance tickets to scenic spots in Guizhou.
Facilities:
The train, which doubles as a mobile star-rated hotel, can accommodate 252 passengers. It has a dining room, bar, karaoke room, dance hall and mahjong room. The 12 cars have individual rooms for two or four passengers, and each room has a washroom with a toilet and shower facilities.
The mahjong room might be the biggest attraction for passengers from Sichuan, whose people are known for their fondness of the game. There's an old joke that an airplane passenger bound for Chengdu can sleep soundly, only to be woken by the clicking of mahjong tiles in the city before landing. In fact, Chengdu is better known for its love of mahjong than its other attractions, such as the giant panda, Sichuan Opera and Sichuan cuisine, according to an online survey conducted by sohu.com two decades ago.
Booking information:
Tickets are only available in advance through Chengdu Railway International Business Travel Group website during the trial runs.
