Candide in China: Round and Round Email the Team Ask questions Archives Previous Days

N o v e m b e r   1 1 ,   1 9 9 6 Trainspotting Hear the trains [RA] With its highways and airports still largely "under construction," China relies on its 32,000 miles of railways for the bulk of its transportation needs. Trains carry 70 percent of China's freight and 60 percent of its travelers -- about 3 million people per day. For the average Chinese trains are the only option for long-distance travel, which makes the typical train -- and its population of 1,000 or more -- a near perfect cross-section of the country itself. Fellow Travelers Squeezed together like dumplings on a bamboo steamer, Hard seat class passengers spit seeds, play poker and share their stories with Candide. Historical Ties We visited the Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stockworks where we learned about ball bearings, inhaled some nasty fumes but got a healthy dose of Chinese history. The Way of the Wild West China is still the best place to see steam engines, but you'd better hurry -- between diesel trains, airplanes and automobiles, they're disappearing fast. Made in China