Divine Train Departing from Beijing! The Mobile Scenic Lounge Is Absolutely Amazing
Who understands, family! The Starlight Yanzhao Tourist Train, launching on July 9th, is setting a new weekend travel benchmark for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region! This is not an ordinary train; it’s a mobile scenic lounge and a traveling intangible cultural heritage museum running through the Yanshan Mountains. Perfect for short trips, family outings, or friends traveling together. The complete travel guide is all organized for you—just copy it for your weekend trip!
🚞 Train Exterior | A Mobile Work of Art Perfect for Photos
The entire train features a gradient teal-blue base color, covered with green mountains and waters of Yanzhao scenery. The train body is extensively decorated with Peking Opera masks and Great Wall patterns, vintage yet grand. When the train stops, crowds of tourists gather around to take photos.
Inside, the design fully showcases Yanzhao intangible cultural heritage: cloisonné enamel, cloisonné blue, and Weixian paper-cut patterns appear everywhere on corridors, partitions, and tabletops. Combined with soft Morandi-style interiors, the green mountain views outside the window blend with the traditional Chinese aesthetics inside, making every photo perfect without editing.
The train has 7 passenger carriages with clear functional divisions and no crowding:
1. Carriage 2: Parent-child entertainment carriage with window graffiti and DIY craft areas
2. Carriages 3/4/6/7: Sightseeing seat carriages with basic viewing seats, booths, and massage first-class seats
3. Carriage 5: VIP private compartment carriage with four-person independent rooms and private bathrooms
4. Carriage 8: Panoramic viewing tail carriage with the best views on the train, featuring 270° floor-to-ceiling windows and a top skylight
🪑 Carriage Comfort | Suitable for Elderly and Children
Completely overturning the traditional green train experience with attention to detail:
· Two types of seats: swivel soft seats and genuine leather electric massage first-class seats, spacious spacing for long sitting without crowding. Each seat has a USB charging port, foldable small table, and storage pocket;
· Four-person face-to-face booths are perfect for families or friends to gather, making tea, chatting, and snacking very convenient;
· The entire train is upgraded for elderly accessibility: widened aisles, anti-slip handrails, spacious restrooms, and complete barrier-free facilities, making travel stress-free for seniors;
· The panoramic tail carriage is the highlight, with double-layer viewing from side windows and top skylight. The train slows down when passing valleys and the Great Wall to allow passengers to take photos.
🗓️ Fixed Timetable on the Beijing-Chengde Main Line (Regular Weekend Service)
Outbound Y963 | Departs Beijing Station at 8:37 → Stops at Xinglong County → Arrives Chengde Station at 13:15, about 4.5 hours total
Return Y964 | Departs Chengde Station at 16:24 → Stops at Xinglong County → Arrives Beijing Fengtai Station at 20:59
Choose between same-day round trip or two-day stay in Chengde. Departure times are flexible, no need to wake up early or rush, and you won’t get home too late.
Ticket Prices
· Standard sightseeing soft seat: 288 RMB/person, includes a free snack gift box
· Luxury four-person compartment: 2388 RMB/room, with independent sofa, tea table, bathroom, and exclusive butler service, ideal for family travel
· Annual unlimited pass: 1699 RMB, unlimited rides on all Starlight routes on Beijing-Chengde, Beijing-Qinhuangdao, and Beijing-Zhangjiakou lines throughout the year
🎪 No Boredom on the Journey! Free + Paid Special Experiences
Free cultural and entertainment activities (included in ticket, unlimited times)
1. Intangible heritage performances: live shadow puppetry by Chengde Tianyin Shadow Puppet Troupe, clapper talk, crosstalk, and stand-up comedy in rotation;
2. Folk interactions: clown parades, ethnic singing and dancing, prize-winning mini-games, with staff leading the atmosphere throughout;
3. Intangible heritage dough sculpture experience: simple crafting of Yanzhao-style small ornaments, suitable for adults and children;
4. Skylight scenic show: panoramic carriage LED screen continuously plays seasonal scenery of Yanshan Mountains and the Great Wall.
Paid Parent-child Crafts (optional)
Window graffiti 89 RMB/set: special erasable markers, instant photo souvenirs, exclusive experience certificates; clay and cream glue DIY average 90-110 RMB, perfect for keeping kids entertained during the trip.
🍲 Train Exclusive Cuisine | Yanzhao Specialty Dining Car
The dining car features local Hebei flavor set meals, signature dishes to order without hesitation:
Imperial braised chicken, Fortune Double Happiness meatballs, Jinghua three treasures stewed beef brisket, black truffle corn, and nutritious mixed grain rice;
Light meals and snacks include donkey meat sandwich and kiln-baked sesame cakes, paired with local Chengde almond dew and almond latte;
If you don’t want a full meal, there are chips, dried fruits, coffee, soda, and other light snacks. Bringing your own snacks is also allowed.
📍 Chengde Arrival Supporting Itinerary
One-day round trip simplified version (same-day train round trip)
Arrive Chengde Station at 13:15 → Taxi to Summer Resort for a 2-hour stroll → Eat local snacks at Erxianju Pedestrian Street (donkey rolling cake, hand-pulled meat, Nansha cake) → Return on time at 16:24, relaxed pace without rushing.
Two-day in-depth tour version
Day 1: Take the Starlight Yanzhao train from Beijing to Chengde, visit the Summer Resort in the afternoon, and check out Erxianju Night Market in the evening;
Day 2: Visit Putuo Zongcheng Temple (Little Potala Palace) in the morning, buy souvenirs in the afternoon, and take the train back to Beijing in the evening.
⚠️ Practical Tips to Avoid Travel Pitfalls
1. Ticket purchase channels: available on the Starlight Train mini-program and 12306 railway tourism section. Weekend compartment tickets are tight, so book 7 days in advance;
2. Best photo spot: left side of carriage 8 panoramic tail carriage, unobstructed views of the Great Wall and Chahe Gorge. Arrive half an hour before departure to secure a spot for photos of the train exterior;
3. Dress suggestions: light-colored clothes match the blue-green train body for better photos; summer viewing seats can be sunny, bring a sun hat and light jacket;
4. Spending reminders: tickets include basic snacks; DIY crafts and specialty drinks are extra and optional;
5. Courtesy reminders: window graffiti only allowed with train-provided pens, carving glass is prohibited; do not climb over railings when taking photos in indigenous or mountainous areas.
Seasonal Extended Routes
Besides the Beijing-Chengde scenic line, the train opens two special routes at different times:
1. Beijing-Qinhuangdao Coastal Line: Beijing ↔ Beidaihe, Qinhuangdao, viewing the Bohai Sea coastline, ideal for summer seaside trips;
2. Beijing-Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow Line: operates in winter, direct to Zhangjiakou Chongli, connecting ski resorts and Grassland Sky Road, enjoying northern snow scenery.
No more squeezing into high-speed trains for short trips in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area. Take the Starlight Yanzhao train and turn travel time into the journey itself—enjoy mountains and waters, taste delicious food, and appreciate intangible cultural heritage. This train unlocks all the romance of Hebei, the top choice for weekend travel!