The Boat of the Grassland

A slow train traveling to and from China’s northern borderland is a constant witness to the changing times.

PASSING through the vast grasslandsof northern China， thereis a slow passenger train whoseticket price has never beenraised for over three decades. Connectingmany places， the train is a constant witnessto the changing times.

A Stable Guardian

This train， slow though it is， has been an important means of transport forthe local Mongolian ethnic people. Itis known as the Boat of the Grassland.At 8：40 a.m. every day， train No. 6865departs from Hohhot Station right onschedule， heading northward across awinding route through rolling grasslands.It covers 472 kilometers， takingnine hours and 45 minutes， and finallystops at Erenhot， a city along the borderof China and Mongolia.

In spite of the rapid development of railways， this slow train， like a stableguardian， has shuttled passengers between28 remote stations since the 1990s.The fare for the whole journey is RMB 53，costing about RMB 0.11 per kilometer.

As a convenient mode of transportationfor residents living in remote areasto travel to obtain medical treatment，find work， visit relatives， and pursueeducation， it has opened a door to theoutside world for those who have dreamsand aspirations for a better life. This trainis also a means for locals to bring theiragricultural products to various markets，increase incomes， and move forward onthe road to prosperity. For students， itis a “school train” that propels them intheir pursuit of knowledge. Children inthe small villages along the line ride thistrain to attend schools in Saihantala，Ulanqab， and other places. The carriagehas become a temporary classroom forcountless students.

“I used to be one of the many students who took this train to school， and it haswitnessed my growing up，” said Han Lina，the conductor of the Baotou passengertraffic section.

Crossing the grasslands and the GobiDesert and connecting remote communitiesof ethnic minorities， this slow traincontinues to carry the hopes and dreamsof people living along the line and becomean indispensable part of their lives.

As an important port on the Sino-Mongolian border， Erenhot is a place forboth trade and cultural exchanges. Itstrain service not only satisfies the traveldemands of passengers， but also promotesthe blend and common developmentof people of all ethnic groups.

According to Han， Chinese of Mongolianethnicity and people of Mongolia arethe predominant groups of passengerscommonly riding on the train. To betterserve them， each crew has a conductoron duty who is proficient in Mongolian，and then during the off-duty period， crewmembers learn common Mongolianphrases by using translation softwareor online videos to better communicatewith passengers.

The train crew shows respect to theMongolian culture and customs by providingtailored services. For example， thedining carriage has long provided specialdelicacies from Inner Mongolia， such aslamb offal soup， milk tea， fried rice， andvarious dairy products like Mongolianclotted cream and dried milk cake， sothat passengers can enjoy hometownfood during their train trip.

According to Li Jie， who works at theInner Mongolia Autonomous RegionEthnic Affairs Commission， many of thestations along the train route are locatedin areas inhabited by ethnic minorities.As a result， every detail of the train fromdecorations， language service， and foodto irregular theatrical performances reflectsthe strong ethnic characteristics of these areas. This not only enhancesunderstanding between the people of allethnic groups， but also provides an effectivecarrier for the exchanges and sharingbetween them. This plays an importantrole in promoting ethnic unity and ruralrevitalization.

The Beauty of Slow Traveling

Sitting on this slow train， drinkingsavory milk tea， listening to a melodyplayed on the horse-head stringed instrument，and enjoying the beautiful sceneryoutside the window， people enjoy thebeauty of slow traveling.

With the advancement of the culturaltourism industry， the slow train， whichconnects many scenic spots such as theUlan Hada Volcanos， the Saihantala HotSpring， and the Erenhot National Gate， isliked by countless travelers.

“My pension is not high， and thistrain is affordable. Without hustle， I canenjoy the great view outside the windowand sometimes a performance in thecarriage，” said Ms. Hu， who travels fromHohhot to Ulanqab to visit her granddaughterevery week.

The boom in tourism and the increasein passenger flow along the route haveinjected new vitality into regional economicdevelopment. Some investors whohave observed business opportunitieshave built unique homestays around theUlan Hada Station.

Xu Hui runs a homestay named JierXiaozhan there. He is a designer wholikes the style of the building – five Soviet-style bungalows that were built backin 1953. With the unique characteristicsof the architecture， Xu saw an opportunityto develop tourism there.

While bullet trains shuttle passengersbetween major cities across China atlightning speeds， this slow train endingat China’s northern border continues itsmission and responsibility in the newera of carrying the dreams and expectationsof farmers and herdsmen along theline at the speed it has run for the last30 years. Come what may， it gets its jobdone well.

TANG JIALEI is a reporter at china.com.cn.