I Took a Night Train Across China and Shared a Cabin with Three Strangers

The train left Xi’an at 9:30 PM. I had a bed, a ticket, and a translation app that was about to get a workout. What I didn’t have was any idea who I’d be sharing a cabin with.

The sleeper car was clean, narrow, and smelled faintly of instant noodles. I found my compartment — B-4, bed number 2. It was a four-berth room. The beds were stacked two on each side, separated by a slim aisle.

I was the first to arrive. I threw my bag on the top bunk and tried to figure out where to put my feet.

Then the door slid open.

A man in his 60s with a baseball cap and a wide smile walked in. He nodded at me, pointed at his bed, and said something in rapid Chinese. I caught maybe one word: “Beijing.”

I nodded back. I pointed at myself: “Xi’an.”

That was the beginning of our conversation. It lasted for 11 hours.

The Translator

Our primary tool was Baidu Translate. He’d speak into his phone, I’d read the translation on mine. Then I’d speak, and he’d read mine.

We learned each other’s names. He was Mr. Zhang. He was traveling to Beijing to see his daughter and new grandson. He was 68 years old. He had never met a foreigner before.

He asked me what I thought of China. I wrote: “It’s big.” He laughed.

We talked about food. He showed me photos of his grandson. I showed him photos of my family in London. We shared candy. He had a bag of peanuts he insisted I take.

Two hours into the journey, he pulled out a thermos and poured me a cup of tea. It was jasmine, sweet and warm. “Gānbēi,” he said. Cheers.

The Others

At 11 PM, the other two passengers arrived. A young woman around 24, and an older woman who turned out to be her grandmother. They were from a village outside Zhengzhou, traveling to Beijing for a hospital appointment.

The grandmother couldn’t speak a word of English. The granddaughter spoke a little. She was shy at first, but after a few minutes, she was eager to practice.

“Where you from?” she asked.

“London,” I said.

“Do you like China?”

“I do. Very much.”

She smiled. “Chinese food?”

“Hotpot. Yes.”

She nodded. She typed something into her phone and showed me: “Spicy or not spicy?”

I typed back: “Spicy. Always.”

We high-fived. Her grandmother laughed.

The Night

At 1 AM, the lights dimmed. The train kept moving, a steady rhythm of wheels on tracks. I tried to sleep, but the cabin was warm and the snores from Mr. Zhang’s top bunk were impressive.

I lay there, half asleep, listening to the sounds of the train and the occasional announcements in Chinese I couldn’t understand. The train stopped at a few stations. People got on and off. I wasn’t sure where we were.

At 3 AM, I gave up on sleeping. I climbed down and went to the dining car. It was almost empty. A man at the counter made me a bowl of instant noodles with a boiled egg. I ate it slowly, watching the dark Chinese countryside slide by.

I thought about the cabin: four strangers, one small room, no Wi-Fi, no common language. And yet, by the time the sun came up, we had exchanged phone numbers.

The Morning

We arrived in Beijing at 6:30 AM. The sun was coming up over the city. Mr. Zhang shook my hand, patted my shoulder, and said: “Hǎo péngyou.” Good friend.

The granddaughter wrote her email on a piece of paper. “Write to me,” she said. “Practice Chinese.”

I still have that paper in my wallet.

What I Learned

A night train is not the most comfortable way to travel. It’s cramped. It can get stuffy. The food is mediocre. But it’s also one of the only places in China where you can’t escape human connection.

There’s no Wi-Fi. No escape hatch. Just a small room, moving through a vast country, carrying people who are willing to share tea, stories, and silence with a stranger.

I’ve taken many trains since. Faster ones. Sleeker ones. But I’ve never again shared a compartment with three people who felt like friends before sunrise.

Where Will Your Train Take You?

A 15-hour sleeper train ride isn’t for everyone. But if you like the idea of moving across China slowly, watching the landscape change, and maybe meeting someone who’ll pour you tea at midnight, it’s unforgettable.

If you prefer to travel faster — or just want someone to handle the tickets — here’s what we recommend:

🚆 Book Your Own Sleeper Train Experience

If this story inspired you to try a night train in China, booking is easier than you think.

👉 Check sleeper train prices on Trip.com →

Most routes have sleeper options. Just look for K, T, or Z trains when you search.

Story by YOGOTOCHINA

Based on real experiences traveling China’s railways.

✦ Ready to explore China?