©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd The Trans-Manchurian Route Why Go? Mănzhōulǐ .....................294 For connoisseurs of obscure rail routes, the Trans-Manchurian Hā’ěrbīn ........................295 Railway ranks high on the wish list. It’s not on the main Chángchūn ...................300 line to Vladivostok, nor does it take the ‘tourist route’ via Mongolia; rather, the weekly Vostokk (19/20) chugs through Shānhǎiguān ................300 China’s rust belt, where foreign faces are few and far be- tween. From Chita the railway heads toward the Chinese border at Mǎnzhōulǐ, sweeps through the grasslands of In- ner Mongolia and passes through Hā’ěrbīn (Harbin) before Route Info carrying on towards the megalopolis that is Běijīng. The highlight is fascinating Hā’ěrbīn, where elements of turn- » Distance: 2790km of-the-century Russia still poke through the surface of a » Duration: Two days, eight thoroughly modern Chinese city. Bullet trains speed south hours from Hā’ěrbīn to Běijīng, but there’s plenty to see along » Time zones: Chita: the way. Jumping-off points include Chángchūn, one-time Moscow +6; Hā’ěrbīn and capital of Japanese-occupied Manchukuo; Shěnyáng, with Běijīng: Moscow +4 well-preserved relics of the Manchu era; and Shānhǎiguān, where the Great Wall meets the sea. Best Places to Stay & Eat When to Go » F ēngzéyuán Lǚdiàn Hā’ěrbīn guesthouse (p 295 ) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm » Modern Hotel (p 299 ) 30/86 8/200 20/68 » Zhōngdà Dàjiǔdiàn hotel 10/50 6/150 (p 299 ) 0/32 -10/14 4/100 » Kazy International Youth -20/-4 Hostel (p 299 ) -30/-22 2/50 » Cafe Russia 1914 (p299 ) -40/-40 -50/-58 0 » Barguuzin restaurant J FDNOSAJJMAM (p 295 ) Jan Hā’ěrbīn Apr & May Avoid Sep & Oct An- hosts the the summer crush other good time dazzling Ice & of tourists and to visit, after peak Snow Festival. the hot weather summer season by visiting in the and before the shoulder season. cold sets in. 291 The Route Chita to B›ij¸n g In Russia, the kilometre markers show the distance from Moscow. Once in China, they show the distance to Hā’ěrbīn (Harbin); south of West to Hā’ěrbīn, they show the distance to Běijīng. Moscow Chita to Zabaikalsk 6199km Chita 6199KM FROM MOSCOW There’s a 20-minute stop at Chita (p223), where you can stagger off the train and forage for snacks at the small 5hr shops near the platform. 6293KM The next major stop is Karymskaya, 6444km Olovyannaya from where it’s 12km down the line to Tarskaya, the offi cial start of the Trans-Manchurian route; 2hr here the train crosses the Ingoda River and 6543km Borzya heads southeast. 2hr, 30mi n To Vladivostok 6444KM There’s a short stop at Olovyannaya, (Trans-Siberian) then the train crosses the Onon River, a tributary 6666km Zabaikalsk of the Ingoda. This area is said to be the birth- RUSSI A place of Chinggis (Genghis) Khaan. CHINA 6543KM The train makes another 10-minute 935km to Hƒ'›rb¸n M†nzhŸul¨ stop at Borzya. A little-known spur line heads south from here to Mongolia; it was built to move 2hr, 15min THE TRANS-MANCHURIAN ROUTE TRANS-MANCHURIANTHE ROUTE THE TRANS-MANCHURIAN ROUTE TRANS-MANCHURIANTHE ROUTE military equipment into eastern Mongolia during 749km H†ilƒ›r the Japanese invasion of 1939. 1hr, 30mi n 6666KM The bogies are changed in the Rus- sian border town of Zabaikalsk before the train 634km Mianduhe can travel into China. Passably edible meals are 1hr available at a cafe across from the station (take 564km Xinganling the bridge over the tracks and turn left). An ATM 30mi n inside the station dispenses roubles. 539km Boketu Mǎnzhōulǐ to Hā’ěrbīn 3hr, 30mi n 935KM (TO HĀ’ĚRBĪN) Chinese border town 270km Angangxi Mǎnzhōulǐ (p 294 ), established in 1901 as a stop for the train, is booming thanks to cross-border 40mi n trade. 159km Dàqìng 40mi n 749KM Next along the line is H ǎilāěr, the north- 0km, 1388km to B›j¸ng ernmost major town in Inner Mongolia, where Hƒ'›rb¸n the train stops for about 10 minutes. Should you choose to linger longer, a great option is to go 5hr to the Jinzanghan Grassland (金帐汗草原), just 40km north of Hăilāěr, where you can eat 1146km Chángch¥n mutton stew, sleep in a yurt (per person Y80) and ride horses (per hour Y150). There’s also a 3hr, 25min grasslands ger camp (%133 2700 0919). A taxi here from Hǎilāěr is Y120 return. 841km Sh›nyáng 650-560KM The train enters the Greater 2hr, 30mi n Hinggan Mountains. Some trains make stops at towns such as Mianduhe (634km), Yilick Ede 599km J¨nzhŸu (574km) and Xinganling (564km). From here 2hr the train descends on the eastern side of the 415km Shƒnh†iguƒn range. 3hr, 35min 539KM Shortly after the 15-minute halt at Boketu, the train leaves Inner Mongolia and en- 133km Tiƒnj¸n ters the province of Hēilóngjiāng, meaning Black Dragon River. Known in Russian as the Amur 2hr River, Hēilóngjiāng’s namesake river marks the 0km B¦IJ¹N G border with Russia in northeastern China. At this point you can sense a changing climatic and .