I went on a train trip, riding the Hailar Express, which is touted as the most expensive train in China.
It may also be the most beautiful train route, constantly weaving through the vast forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains and crossing the expansive grasslands of Hulun Buir.
Now is one of the most beautiful seasons on the grasslands, with an endless stretch of green beneath the blue sky and white clouds.
For every trip, I use the “Fog of World” app to document my journey.
On the left is my current trip (The Journey of the Cock’s Comb), and on the right is a general indication of its location in China.
I’ve also posted a picture of the map from the brochure. This will give you a more intuitive and clear view, showing that we followed a small circular route.
Due to our limited time, while other tourists continued on to Manzhouli and Arxan after the journey, we did not.
This train route covers a total distance of 2,248 kilometers, traveling a round trip from Hailar (Hulun Buir Grassland) – Genhe – Mohe – Jiagedaqi – Arikui River – Hailar (Erguna Wetland).
We visited China’s Arctic and Cold extremes, and along the way saw grasslands, wetlands, broadleaf forests, and birch forests.
The scenery was incredibly stunning.
The experience was absolutely fantastic.
Just after finishing the trip, I couldn’t wait to post about it. The quicker I write, the more eager I am to share.
The Hailar Express is truly exceptional.
The entire train has 11 carriages, but only 22 rooms, with a maximum capacity of 44 guests.
All rooms have no bunks, include en-suite bathrooms, and feature extra-large scenic windows.
While the room space can’t compare to hotels on land, it was more than satisfactory.
You can feel that the Hailar Express strives to offer you the best possible experience.
The bed linens provided are from Steford.
The room is equipped with a humidifier and AHAVA toiletries.
The public areas are also impressive.
There is an entire dining car (Bayar) that provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
Each meal is multi-course and completely different from the previous ones.
It features specialties from the Mongolian and Russian ethnic groups, as well as the distinct and flavorful Northeastern Chinese cuisine.
They say cruises make you gain weight, and it seems train travel does too.
There are also local beers, popsicles, and cheeses provided.
The tableware is very luxurious, made by the Italian company Ginori, which has 300 years of history and crafts custom national treasure ceramics. It’s said that this set of tableware took over a year to be custom-made. When we first boarded, last year’s Hulunbuir train did not have this set.
But these details are not the most important. What matters is that each meal comes with beautiful scenery outside the window.
It turns out that the most challenging aspect of dining on the train is the schedule, ensuring a good view with good food. The Xing Enjoy Train Travel company (which operates the Hulunbuir train) has done numerous trial runs and had many discussions with the railway bureau. This ensures that every meal is served while the train is moving through scenic areas.
There’s also a whole saloon car (Nadam) that combines a KTV, bar, and post office.
This is my favorite car. It’s nice to sit, have a coffee, and enjoy the scenery. Train travel should slow down the entire journey.
My wife loves reading in this car. Naturally, on the Hulunbuir train, one should read “The Right Bank of the Argun River.”
The saloon car always has food and beverages available, with a constant supply of snacks, coffee, drinks, and alcohol.
This car also has a China Post mailbox where you can send postcards from the Hulunbuir train.
The train provides a “passport” book, and at each station, you can get a stamp, making it a memorable keepsake.
In the evening, the saloon car turns into a bar. The Hulunbuir train offers an all-inclusive package, which naturally includes most alcoholic drinks.
There’s also a multi-functional lounge car, which is my child’s favorite. Here, you can play games, do crafts, and experience VR equipment.
The highlight is that there is a vacation ambassador who accompanies and plays with the children.
Lastly, there’s the locomotive and a car dedicated to the train staff. We, 44 passengers, use nine carriages, while the more than 20 staff members only have one carriage.
The Hulunbuir train is not just a mode of transportation; it offers a comprehensive travel experience.
The 5-day, 4-night journey isn’t spent entirely on the train. Instead, it follows a 2+2 format: 2 nights on the train and 2 nights in local hotels.
The main reason for this arrangement is that no matter how luxurious a train may be, it is still constrained by the limited space of its carriages.
Even though it’s a 2+2 format, there’s no need to constantly pack and unpack luggage, as most of our belongings are left safely on the train.
Along the way, we stop at various niche, picturesque destinations that look like paradise.
On the first day, we delve deep into the heart of the Hulunbuir grasslands to witness a spectacular display of galloping horses.
The best time to visit Hulunbuir is from June to October. From June to August, the endless greenery of the grasslands stretches as far as the eye can see. From September to October, the landscape is dominated by autumnal beauty.
Our destination has been carefully selected by the Hulunbuir train; a private ranch situated right beside the Morigele River.
The Morigele River is known as the “world’s most winding river,” with its waters twisting and turning, often forming nearly 360-degree loops, resembling a meandering ribbon on the grasslands.
To create a dynamic and contrasting grassland scenery, the herders drive their horses to perform a stunning display of thousands of horses galloping across the boundless prairie.
All we need to do is sit back and quietly enjoy the spectacle.
On the second day, we enter the Greater Khingan Mountains to visit the last reindeer herding tribe of the Evenki people.
This day, we arrive at Genhe, known as the coldest place in China. In winter, temperatures often drop below -40°C, with the Genhe Jingling Station recording a low of -58°C on December 31, 2009, a record that still stands.
Of course, Genhe is not cold in summer and serves as an excellent summer retreat surrounded by forests and wetlands, offering an exceptionally good environment.
Our main agenda for the day is to visit the Aoluguya Evenki Township, home to the last reindeer herding tribe of the Evenki people.
They speak the Aoluguya dialect of the Evenki language, which belongs to the Tungusic language family, and practice Shamanism, which venerates the power of the earth, living a nomadic life alongside their reindeer.
Reindeer, the very animals that pull Santa’s sleigh, are something we get to experience up close for the first time.
On the third day, we embark on a quest northward to Mohe.
We visit the northernmost point in China, the northernmost village, the northernmost frontier post, the northernmost post office, and the northernmost bookstore. We then take a boat on the Heilongjiang River to catch a distant view of Ignaceyevo Village in Russia.
This scenic spot below is called the First Bend of the Longjiang, also known as the Omega Bend on the Heilongjiang River, with Russia right across the river.
Ussuri Front Beach, the northernmost point of our country, is the crown of the Golden Rooster on the map. The northernmost national boundary marker is located here.
Then there’s Arctic Village. Around the summer solstice, Arctic Village experiences the longest daylight hours in our country. The duration between sunset and sunrise is only a little over three hours. Even at night, it never gets completely dark.
Send a postcard from the northernmost post office, and feel the hardships of border guards at the northernmost outpost…
Everything here is the northernmost: the northernmost bank, the northernmost bookstore, and even the northernmost family.
On the fourth day, we visited Alihe to learn about the history of the Oroqen people. This place is also the birthplace of the Tuoba Xianbei tribe.
Now, there are no Tuoba Xianbei left. The Tuoba adopted Han language, changed to Han surnames, wore Han clothing, married with the Han people, and learned Han customs. This former grassland tribe of the Tuoba Xianbei has deeply rooted itself into the Chinese land.
We went to the Tuoba Xianbei’s origin, the Great Xianbei Mountain’s Gaxian Cave, and visited the museum to learn about the history.
That day, we also went to the Oroqen Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, where we made crafts and created a small bag out of animal skins.
On the fifth day, we headed to Asia’s largest wetland, the Ergun Wetland Park.
The Ergun Wetland is currently the largest and most well-preserved wetland in its natural state in China. I just found out that Asia’s largest wetland is actually in the grasslands.
Why choose the Hulunbuir Train?
High-end train products are actually in short supply, such as the Pride of Africa, the Orient Express, and the Andes High Train Belmond…
In some hidden corners of the world, there are these few antique trains that allow the journey itself to become a part of the travel experience.
There will always be some nostalgic individuals willing to pay a high price and slow down their travel pace to board these antique trains and reminisce about the golden age of train travel.
Finally, we also have high-end trains in our country.
It is said that another high-end train under Fosun, the Silk Road Train, is coming soon. This route, called the “Star of the Silk Road,” will take you along the ancient Silk Road.
I won’t reveal the specific stops yet to keep some mystery. Just think, over the past few years, everyone has lamented the scarcity of hotels in Dunhuang; soon you can stay on the train.
The hardware of the Hulunbuir Train is truly outstanding.
Not every tourist train dares to call itself a “mobile star hotel.”
The Pride of Africa has 36 rooms, accommodates 72 passengers, and the smallest room area is 7 square meters.
Belmond, with 24 rooms accommodating 48 passengers, has a minimum room size of 7.4㎡.
The Eastern & Oriental Express in Asia has slightly more carriages, with 22 in total, offering 41 rooms and accommodating 82 passengers. The smallest room size is 5.67㎡.
Hulunbuir, with 22 rooms for 44 passengers, boasts a minimum room size of 8.6㎡.
In terms of hardware, the Hulunbuir is on par with other top-tier trains.
The itinerary is absolutely fascinating
We visited China’s Cold Pole (Genhe) and the Arctic (Mohe Arctic Village), explored the last reindeer tribe deep in the Greater Khingan Range, and learned about the culture of the Oroqen people along with the history of the Tuoba Xianbei.
Importantly, the train travels continuously through the forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains or the vast grasslands of Hulunbuir, making the scenery along the way simply stunning.
Exceptional Service
The train has over 20 staff members and additionally three vacation ambassadors who accompany the entire trip, along with a photographer who captures every moment. Whether on the train or off it, the service is impeccable.
Essentially, each room gets its own service staff, meaning the staff-to-room ratio exceeds 1:1.
We were a family of three and had a personal attendant who took care of everything impeccably throughout the journey.
Special mention to the photographer who followed us, the photos were superb.
I am quite inclined to revisit Hulunbuir in autumn (the August trip, as it is autumn on the grasslands then) or in winter. Autumn is when the Hulunbuir grasslands and the Greater Khingan Range are at their most colorful, showcasing over 100 different shades. Winter, by contrast, turns it into a fairytale-like snowy wonderland.
Really looking forward to it.
