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In May 2017, young people from 20 countries along the Belt and Road Initiative selected China's "New Four Great Inventions": high-speed rail, QR code payment, shared bicycles and online shopping.
First up is the "high-speed rail," a symbol of national prestige. my country's high-speed rail has gradually become a global standard, with every country vying for a Chinese high-speed railway. High-speed rail has become not only a diplomatic tool but also a major foreign exchange earner. It's truly a high-quality project that earns both face and money. In China, with the advent of high-speed rail, the existing "four vertical and four horizontal" railway network has been completely upgraded to the "eight vertical and eight horizontal" version 2.0. Honestly, China is amazing!
(Picture source: Internet)
(Picture source: Internet)
The most familiar high-speed railway series is the "Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway" connecting Beijing and Shanghai. As major coastal cities have been clamoring for one-hour urban circles and two-hour urban clusters, in the northwest of the motherland, a high-speed railway "Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway" that has overcome numerous world-class difficulties has emerged. This is the only high-speed railway that belongs only to the five northwestern provinces.
The Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway, also known as the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Passenger Dedicated Line, is a high-speed railway in China connecting Lanzhou, Gansu Province, and Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It is the world's longest high-speed railway line ever built and opened to traffic at one time. The 1,786-kilometer Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway runs from Lanzhou West Station to Urumqi Station, with 22 stations and a designed maximum speed of 250 km/h. The railway's route coincides with the ancient Silk Road, reconnecting the "Western Regions." With the vigorous promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative, it may even extend beyond China.
The Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway passes through fields of rapeseed flowers, meadows and snow-capped mountains, mountain flowers and rivers, and camel-bell-covered Gobi Desert. It is one of the most beautiful high-speed railway lines in China, both in terms of scenery and culture.
(Picture source: Internet)
It is the world's longest high-speed railway built in one go;
It is the world's first high-speed railway to cross the Gobi Desert on a large scale;
It is the world's highest-speed railway that crosses the longest wind zone;
It is the first high-speed railway in the world to have a windbreak system installed.
The Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway also has the highest altitude difference in the world.
I'd never know if I didn't check, but 10,000 people a day secretly traveled to the northwest in pursuit of poetry and distant lands. So, where exactly are the high-speed rail stops along the route, and what's so exciting about them? I remember reading in history books that the advent of the automobile greatly expanded the radius of human life. So, will this high-speed rail allow us to leave in the morning and let loose in the afternoon?
Let’s first take a look at a station map to help us understand where the Lanxin Railway stops.
Tips: There are 22 stations handling passenger services along the entire Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway, including 10 in the Gansu section, 6 in the Qinghai section, and 6 in the Xinjiang section. They are Lanzhou West Station, Minhe South Station, Leduo South Station, Haidong West Station, Xining Station, Datong West Station, Menyuan Station, Minle Station, Zhangye West Station, Linze South Station, Gaotai South Station, Qingshui North Station, Jiuquan South Station, Jiayuguan South Station, Yumen Station, Liuyuan South Station, Hami Station, Tuha Station, Shanshan North Station, Turpan North Station, Urumqi South Station, and Urumqi Station.
At the 22 stops along the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway, have you discovered many places you'd love to visit but haven't had time to? The high-speed rail has not only made travel more convenient, but it has also brought us closer to poetry and distant places.
Lanzhou, a long and narrow city, serves as the gateway to the northwest. From Lanzhou, one can reach Dunhuang in the north, Gannan in the south, Xining in the west, and Yinchuan in the east. The "Hundred Mile Yellow River Scenic Route" along the Yellow River, featuring Zhongshan Bridge, Waterwheel Park, the Yellow River Mother Statue, the nightscape of Baita Mountain, and the Ningxia Museum, are all must-see attractions in Lanzhou.
(Picture source: Internet)
Tips:
Lanzhou West Railway Station
Lanzhou High-Speed Railway Station is not the traditional Lanzhou Station, but the newly built Lanzhou West Station. Located on Xijin West Road in Qilihe District, Lanzhou, it serves as the starting point for the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway, connecting the Xuzhou-Lanzhou High-Speed Railway, Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway, Lanzhou-Zhongshan Intercity Railway, Longhai Railway, and Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway. If you're flying into Lanzhou, you can take the Lanzhou-Zhongshan Intercity Railway directly to Lanzhou West Station to begin your high-speed rail journey. Designed and built with aerobatics in mind, Lanzhou West Station is a premier station in Northwest China.
Lanzhou West Railway Station has a "Feitian Xinlu" service desk. In addition to providing wheelchairs, stretchers, over-the-counter medicine kits, tool boxes, letter paper, needles and thread and other services for the elderly, children, the sick, the disabled and pregnant passengers, the desk also has a fax and copier machine to provide fax, copy and other services for business travelers. The service desk also has a number of language service ambassadors who provide foreign passengers with guidance and consultation services in 9 foreign languages including English, French, German, Korean, Japanese and two minority languages Tibetan and Uyghur.
Xining, a thoroughfare on the Qinghai Road of the Silk Road, served as a vital town connecting the Central Plains with the western border regions. It was also a crucial stop on the historical "Ancient Tang-Tibet Road," a city steeped in millennia of history. Today, Xining is the terminus of the Lanzhou-Qinghai Railway and the starting point of both the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Nearby attractions include Beishan Temple, the Dongguan Grand Mosque, and the Ma Bufang Residence. Ta'er Monastery in Huangzhong County is a sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism. The renowned Qinghai Lake is 151 kilometers from Xining.
(Picture source: Internet)
Tips:
Xining Station
It is a first-class passenger and freight station under the jurisdiction of China Railway Qinghai-Tibet Group Co., Ltd. and the largest railway hub on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Xining Station is an intermediate station on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway, and is also the starting and ending station of the Lanzhou-Qinghai Railway and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
High-speed rail advantages:
There are 23 trains from Lanzhou to Xining, each taking about an hour. Compared to the 3.5-hour journey by long-distance bus or public transportation, this journey saves 2 hours and allows you to enjoy a large public space (the Lanzhou-Xining highway is approximately 200 kilometers long).
Menyuan's vast sea of rapeseed flowers has long been famous. When viewed from the speeding high-speed railway, you can see cattle and sheep on the lush grassland where the wind blows the grass low. The rapeseed flowers bloom in July and August every year, which is an even more spectacular sight. The towering snow-capped mountains in the distance add a lot of color to this railway.
(Photo source: Lao Gao)
Tips:
Menyuan Station
Menyuan Station is called the most beautiful station by netizens. During the summer rapeseed flower season, the whole journey is accompanied by golden rapeseed flowers swaying in the wind.
High-speed rail advantages:
There are two trains from Lanzhou to Menyuan, each taking about two hours. Compared to a six-hour bus or public transportation journey, this saves four hours and avoids the rugged mountain roads. Along the way, there are vast fields of rapeseed flowers (the Lanzhou-Menyuan highway is approximately 340 kilometers long).
Zhangye National Geopark comprises the "Colorful Danxia" and "Binggou Danxia." The frequently trending Danxia is breathtaking for its vibrant and varied colors. The unique shapes of Binggou Danxia are even more breathtaking. Not only does it possess the usual peculiarities and dangers of Danxia, but its beauty lies even more in its colors.
(Picture source: Internet)
Tips:
Zhangye West Railway Station
Located in Ganzhou District, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, it was completed and put into use on December 24, 2014. It is under the jurisdiction of Lanzhou Railway Bureau and the design highlight of the entire station is "Han and Tang New Rhythm".
High-speed rail advantages:
There are 15 trains from Lanzhou to Zhangye, each taking about 3.5 hours. Compared to long-distance buses and public transportation, which take 6 hours (direct high-speed access) or 12 hours (via Xining and Menyuan), this route saves a lot of time and is comfortable along the way (the Lanzhou-Zhangye highway is approximately 650 kilometers long).
The Jiayuguan Tower, known as "the most magnificent pass in the world", stands intact next to the Jiayuguan City. The well-preserved tower leaves us with our imagination of the majestic border in ancient times. The Great Wall is still there, perfectly connected by the high-speed rail to the veins of the Silk Road culture.
(Picture source: Internet)
Tips: Jiayuguan South Station
It is a station on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway in Gansu Province. It is a medium-sized railway passenger station located on the south side of Hekou Village, Jiayuguan City. Jiayuguan South Station is about 8 kilometers away from the city center.
High-speed rail advantages:
There are 13 trains from Lanzhou to Jiayuguan, each taking about 4.5 hours. Compared to long-distance buses and public transportation, which take 8 hours (direct high-speed access) or 14 hours (via Xining and Menyuan), this route is much more time-saving and comfortable (the Lanzhou-Zhangye highway is approximately 720 kilometers long).
Gunnar Jarlin, a Swede, called Turpan "the richest open-air archaeological museum in the world." The charm of the Turpan oasis has been reflected throughout history, and its unique climate has shaped this "fire state." Klinkett, in his book "Cultures on the Ancient Silk Road," wrote, "Few other oases are as culturally diverse as Turpan. It lies at the intersection of an east-west thoroughfare and a north-south thoroughfare."
(Picture source: Internet)
Tips: Turpan North Railway Station
Turpan North Railway Station is located northwest of Turpan City in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 5 kilometers from downtown Turpan (15 kilometers from the city center). It is adjacent to Turpan Jiaohe Airport (located directly south, approximately 500 meters away) and 3 kilometers from the Lianhuo G30 (Lianyungang to Horgos) Expressway. The station fully embodies the design concept of "Grape Homeland, Western Region Style," drawing on architectural elements from Turpan's grape drying houses and incorporating unique regional cultural features such as arches and decorative patterns. The station's design is elegant, simple, and streamlined.
The end point of this trip is Urumqi, the center of Xinjiang. This beautiful pasture is surrounded by mountains on three sides. Its unique ethnic customs are its most distinctive highlight. Starting from here, you can appreciate the charm of the entire Xinjiang.
(Picture source: Internet)
Tips:
Urumqi Railway Station
Located in Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, it is a special station affiliated to China Railway Urumqi Bureau Group Co., Ltd. It is the western terminus of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway and the largest comprehensive transportation hub and railway passenger distribution center in Xinjiang.
With the continuous improvement of the high-speed rail network, there are more and more ways to enter the northwest. As far as high-speed rail is concerned, the one that connects the entire Lanxin Railway is the Baolan High-speed Railway that runs from all over the country to Xi'an.
At 8:16 a.m. on July 9, 2017, the first EMU train, G2028 from Lanzhou West to Xuzhou, slowly departed Lanzhou West Station. The Baoji-Lanzhou high-speed railway officially opened for operation, marking the full connection of the Xuzhou-Lanzhou high-speed railway line and the integration of the northwestern provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang into the national high-speed rail network. From that moment on, the northwestern high-speed railway officially became part of the national high-speed rail network.
This high-speed railway, starting from Baoji in the east and ending in Lanzhou in the west, is called the Baolan section of the Xuzhou-Lanzhou High-speed Railway. It is an important part of the land bridge channel in the main channels of the "four vertical and four horizontal" Xuzhou-Lanzhou High-speed Railway and the "eight vertical and eight horizontal" high-speed railway in the national medium- and long-term railway network planning. The Baolan High-speed Railway is the main railway passenger channel in Northwest and Central and Eastern my country. Its opening to traffic will significantly improve the transportation capacity of the Eurasian Continental Bridge railway channel and promote the construction of the "Belt and Road".
(Picture source: Internet)
Tips: The Baolan High-speed Railway has 32 trips per day, and the entire journey takes about 2 hours; it takes about 3 hours from Xi'an to Lanzhou.
(Image from hkwar_808)
With the further development of the Northwest and the construction along the "Belt and Road", the high-speed rail network in the Northwest will gradually become denser. Currently planned and under construction are the Lanzhou-Chongqing High-Speed Railway connecting the Northwest and Southwest; the Gannan Railway connecting the beautiful Gannan; the Longnan High-Speed Railway connecting Kongtong Mountain and Longnan; and the Yinchuan-Lanzhou High-Speed Railway with Yinchuan as the focus (to be opened to traffic around 2020). These railways will promote exchanges between the east and the northwest and bring new vitality to the ancient land of the northwest.
