6,000 km Train Ride from 25°C to -25°C | China’s ‘South Pole to North Pole’ by Rail

6,000 km Train Ride from 25°C to -25°C | China’s ‘South Pole to North Pole’ by Rail

Hello everyone welcome to my channel Today, we’re tackling another monster train journey across China! We’re going from the very bottom all the way to the very top. South pole to North pole… China railway edition! From a balmy tropical island at 25℃ (77°F) to a slightly chillier -25℃ (-13°F) It’s a trek of nearly 6,000 km (that’s like 3,700 miles!) Please enjoy the journey! Alright, here we are: Sanya Railway Station! We’re chilling at 18 degrees north latitude – officially the southernmost train station in all of China We’re heading to China’s northernmost train station Here’s the master plan… roughly. Spoiler: there’s no direct train, so I will have to change trains several times. However, I almost missed the very first train… They literally stopped checking tickets just as I was thinking about maybe checking mine Made it! By the skin of my teeth This fancy ride is an intercity tourist train – brand spanking new as of last November Pretty unique design, inside and out The video was shot shortly after the Chinese New Year Yep, lots of New Year bling in the carriage. Happy vibes! First stop: Sanya Airport Ah, the airport’s giant pineapple landmark Toilets on the train Braille on the buttons Weather’s looking a bit moody outside right now Rolling past Tianya Haijiao Station That translates to ‘Edge of the Sky, Corner of the Sea’ – a super famous spot on Hainan Island BREAKING news: Chinese trains now have vending machines and coffee machines! Ordered a raw coconut latte – just scan the QR code and pay Tastes Not bad! Okay, check this out… An interesting feature It’s a photo booth thingy with… filters? On a train? You can even use AI to swap the background Scan the QR code to download the photo to your phone No assigned seats on this train, grab whatever spot you like Power socket under the table Some desks even support wireless charging. Fancy! The sun’s decided to show up! Much better. Ooh, drone spotted! 47 minutes later, we’ve reached the end of this line Love the paint job on this train! Quite tropical. There’s another one parked opposite Different style, inside and out. Gotta ride that one next time. Time to transfer. Down through the underground passage we go Opposite is our cool, colorful train we just got off Over on the other side, those tracks are for freight trains Here comes our next ride! A classic green train just zipped past Okay, final farewell to the rainbow train We took the first-class seats on this train The seats come in two different colors Hmmm, this footrest doesn’t pop out automatically Hainan Island has built a circular high-speed railway network Going east is faster, but today we chose to experience the other side. Confession time: I still can’t reliably tell a coconut tree from a betel nut tree Some locals told me that coconut trees are usually shorter and thicker So… these tall skinny ones must be betel nut trees? Maybe? Beautiful tropical views Wait a second… are those greenhouses? Never expected so many in the tropics What are they growing in there? Current temperature check: a toasty 28°C (82°F) The clouds are hanging super low today. Feels kinda like we’re up on a plateau Look at those fields! Already bright green with rice seedlings, and it’s only February! Back up north, you gotta wait another two months for this kind of green action. Perks of the tropics! Running right alongside us is Hainan’s ring-island expressway The weather just did a 180 That’s one huge curve in the track Is that… an amusement park? We’re entering the urban area of Haikou This is the capital of Hainan Province It took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes to arrive at Haikou East Station The real challenge starts in a few hours Next up: a 48-hour, 20-minute marathon on a long-distance sleeper train. FORTY-EIGHT HOURS. Priority one: Stock up on snacks Back here again Wait, no, this is Haikou East Station Our next train departs from Haikou Station (no East) Which means… another short transfer. Let’s go! Interesting, this station is elevated. Not a typical China’s high-speed rail setup Escalator ride up to the platform it is Wow, another train with a nice paint job! Inside, it looks a lot like a subway car No assigned seats here either. Just grab one A quick 20-minute hop and we’re at the final Haikou station. Well, my next train, the 48-hour monster, is right there on the opposite platform! Can’t board yet. Gotta go wait in the waiting room Fortunately, there’s a transfer channel The train’s final stop is Harbin, where the Asian Winter Games are being held. Which means… everyone gets a bonus second security check! Hainan has a duty-free policy for people leaving the island. There’s even a pick-up counter right here The train has two waiting areas This train station was built over 20 years ago and it’s showing its age a bit. As expected, the waiting room is packed Makes sense, Hainan is a popular tourist spot during China’s Spring Festival holiday Many people from north flee here to escape the cold This also makes the air tickets cost a FORTUNE to leave the island after the holiday Which makes these relatively cheap train tickets super popular! Seriously, until just a dozen hours ago before departure I snagged today’s train ticket using the standby system Scored a lower berth in a 4-person “soft sleeper” cabin My upper bunkmate? Apparently brought an entire roast chicken. Respect Right then. The next 48 hours… this train is my home We’re off! Right on time First major hurdle: Crossing the Qiongzhou Strait to get back to mainland China They literally split the train into sections and load it onto a ferry. Wild! This feels… surreal The carriage parked right next to us? Yeah, that’s part of our train too. The hard seat carriage is totally empty – guess they didn’t sell tickets for this bit Tried to explore further, but nope, door’s locked Whoa, a massive power bank! That’s what keeps the lights on while we’re sailing the seas… on a train Look what I found Oh, even the RATS are huge here! Everything’s bigger in Hainan? Lots of shunting back and forth, changing tracks… Getting that “I think we’re driving into the boat now” feeling Yep! Train rolling into the ferry’s belly They load two carriages at a time to keep the ship balanced The carriage is now officially part of the ship Doors are locked tight. No escaping to the deck for us passengers. Trapped on a train on a boat! Zero phone signal Must be properly out at sea now Honestly, apart from a tiny wobble, you can barely feel the ferry moving No windows, no reference points… After what felt like forever (but was probably an hour or two), we’ve made it across the strait! Operation Unclamp! The carriage is separating from the ship Gotta pull them off two by two as well. Balance, people, balance! Now the train bits slowly roll forward to reconnect with the rest of the gang More slow movements, repeating the process… Look at all those cars outside waiting to board the ferry That’s a serious queue! Glad we’re not in it The train just… stops. Okay. Checking the schedule…We were supposed to be at the next stop 15 minutes ago Today’s dinner is just a bowl of instant noodles Finally! We’re moving again. Time for this weary traveler to hit the bed Night night! Morning! Woke up and boom, we’re at Guangzhou Baiyun Station This place is huge. One of the largest railway hubs in Asia. Sun’s up! Good morning, mainland China Direction: North! A large bamboo forest We arrived at Ganzhou Station at 12 noon Platform stretching time! Loads of people got off. Looks more like a town square meet-up We’re heading into the mountains of Jiangxi now Lots of tunnels Not much to see but rock walls… retreat to my cabin for a nap Five hours later… we’re still in Jiangxi province. It’s bigger than it looks on the map The train arrives at Nanchang Station Seeing the busy staff reminds me… I can order takeout to the train! Just order via the official railway app, and they bring it right to your seat KFC seems to be the crowd favourite I can already pre-order lunch for tomorrow noon Lots of restaurant choices available at Shenyang North Station. Decisions, decisions… Okay, settled on dumplings. Two servings, 15 pieces each Feeling the change… the train’s air con has switched to heating mode Milestone! We just crossed the mighty Yangtze River – Asia’s longest and world’s 3rd longest river! Dinner time! Ordered two different stir-fried vegetable dishes in the dining carriage… …annnd they look suspiciously identical… In the previous video, I tried the self-heating hot pot Today’s experiment: self-heating rice! Step 1: Add water to rice, give it a stir. Easy enough Step 2: Slop in the sauce packet. Looking… saucy Step 3: Activate the magic heating pack. Same procedure as the hot pot It’s cooking! Looks good Well, gotta say, the picture on the box was slightly more optimistic Time for a post-dinner walk Pacing the train corridors like a caged tiger. Back and forth Night two on the train! Goodnight! Woke up pulling into Beijing Fengtai Station Another massive hub, this one just got a major facelift Next up, rolling past Beijing South Railway Station Look at all those sleek high-speed trains lined up, ready to fly! Our old-school journey continues We’ve officially entered China’s northeast region! Getting colder… I’ve got the whole 4-person cabin to myself now Winter in Northern China… everything kinda has that shade of mud It’s so dry up here, poor green things don’t stand much of a chance Approaching Shenyang North Station! Dumpling time is near! We have snow! First proper snow sighting of the trip Platform fashion contrast: some dude’s in a massive down jacket, another’s rocking shorts Lunch delivery! My dumplings have arrived! The staff are sorting through the mountain of takeout bags Delivered to my room quickly Two different flavors of dumplings Gotta have the dipping sauce – chili oil and vinegar. The proper way This brand is a big deal up north. Famous dumpling chain Shrimp dumplings are their signature dish Celery pork also tastes good too There’s a second layer underneath Okay, maybe 30 dumplings was… ambitious. Feeling slightly stuffed The train keeps moving Keep seeing these massive haystacks everywhere Anyone know what they’re actually used for? Those look like grain silos We are running across China Highway 1 now, the big road connecting Beijing to Harbin Pulling into Changchun Station That train name has a character I’ve literally never seen before After Changchun, it’s pretty much flat plains all the way. Wide open spaces This is black soil country – some of the most fertile land on earth! Breadbasket of China That river is definitely frozen solid. Winter is here! Getting closer to the finish line of this leg Sun’s already setting, and it’s not even 5 PM! Short days up north FINALLY! After 48 hours and 20 minutes… End of the line for this train! Harbin West Railway Station. We made it! Buuut…my next train, the final leg to Mohe, leaves from Harbin Station (no West), 8km away And it departs in… 52 minutes Theoretically, maybe just enough time to transfer… …but yeah, no. Playing it safe. Booked my final ticket for tomorrow Which means… 24-hour layover in Harbin! Time to explore! Okay, real reason: I desperately need a shower after 48 hours on a train. Priorities! Harbin West Railway Station at night Wow, Harbin’s subway stations are gorgeous! Destination: The famous Harbin Ice and Snow World! The biggest ice and snow theme park on the planet Stepped out of the subway and… holy cow! The sheer volume of people is insane! Endless queues everywhere… Oh, wait. These are people queuing for the subway back. Okay, maybe it’s manageable I went the wrong way. Classic. This is the exit. Brilliant Finally found the right entrance This place is way bigger than I imagined Seriously, everything here is carved out of ice Lit up at night… it’s absolutely stunning Yep, touch it. It’s real ice That looks like a popular activity… an ice slide! Might want to get butt insurance before trying that one Siuuuu! Someone’s clearly a Cristiano Ronaldo fan Mini-Asia in ice! Famous landmarks, all frozen One of the star attractions: the giant Snowflake Ferris Wheel. Looks amazing! There’s a show on the main stage every hour Next door, some kind of car stunt show is happening Looks wonderful Okay, back to the main stage, show’s starting! Huge crowd watching Looks great, but gotta dash! Time is ticking Today’s main mission: conquer the big ice slide This is it Pretty much THE most popular thing in the whole park Like the Ferris wheel, you need to book a time slot after entering the park using their app Spaces for the slide are limited People are just waiting, hoping to snag a slot Look at this crowd of people Basically, you have to fight for a reservation just for the privilege of standing in this massive queue Your intrepid reporter got lucky! Scored a slot! And now… we queue And queue… Still queuing… The epic wait is over! We’re finally at the top Grab your plastic sled… Hop in, and the staff hooks a rope onto your shoes. Low-tech safety! All you gotta do is pull the rope Blast off! Okay, much faster than it looked! It just keeps getting faster! Faster! So bumpy! Your butt is the only suspension system you have Will eventually slow down on the blanket at the bottom That was… an experience! Definitely unique Final mission: The Snowflake Ferris Wheel! And yes… more queuing Warning: The ground here has been polished smooth by a million shuffling feet Going up! The best view is coming… Wow! Spectacular! Down there on the left – that’s the ice slide we just experienced It was already closing time when I got off the Ferris wheel Suddenly much quieter Thanks for the chilly memories. Goodnight! The next day at noon, I came to Central Street This is the oldest pedestrian street in China. It’s basically Harbin’s calling card Pretty much every tourist hits this street Time to try the famous local treat: Madieer ice cream! This province borders Russia, you know So you see quite a few shops selling Russian goodies At 4 pm I arrived at Harbin Railway Station Time to continue the journey north! Final leg! It’s snowing! The arched roof is beautiful But feels a bit dark under here though The lighting could be a bit better Alright, the 5:18 PM train to Mohe – China’s northernmost city! This is it! Extreme cold and snow are a big draw for tourists from southern China Unlike the last train, this one’s packed with more tourists. Totally different vibe Tickets for this route are hard to get! Lucky again! Cool roof design on this platform too. Very distinctive Our train’s already got icicles hanging off it! The dark green steel beams make it feel like we’re in some kind of frosty, magical factory Definitely feeling the cold starting to bite now Another soft sleeper cabin, same layout as before Gonna be spending the next 17+ hours in here Well, slightly awkward situation: the other three people in my 4-person cabin are all ladies The height of the rack makes it tricky for long coats Brand new basin and thermos flask. Shiny! Heater unit under the bed means zero space for suitcases down there There’s storage space above the door But space is limited Larger suitcases are difficult to open Uh oh. This train is too OLD. No power sockets inside the cabin Only three sockets for the entire carriage, out in the corridor Current temp in Harbin: -8°C (18°F). Chilly. Our destination, Mohe? Forecast low: -31°C (-24°F) Engage! Northward bound! Harbin’s riverfront looks beautiful ??? How… how are you supposed to sleep like that? Washing areas on both sides of the carriage Tourist map of Mohe on the wall Nice decorations between the carriages They’re even advertising the Northern Lights! Let’s be real, the chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis at the latitude of Mohe are pretty slim Even the “hard sleeper” bunks (the open-plan ones) are totally sold out It’s getting cold! Frost is already forming on the windows between the carriages. Guess what they are filming? Window frost art! Nice painting Two more artists at work on the other side! It’s a trend! This is actually way harder than it looks Your finger gets freezing cold super fast! Gotta swap fingers constantly Running out of ideas? No problem, just search for tutorials on the spot There’s something magical about ice and snow for people from warmer places Night falls, and all the corridor curtains are drawn The edges of the cabin windows are starting to ice up now. Inside! Honestly, I have no clue what I’m drawing Just as I was getting ready for bed… drama! The cabin door lock broke! Yep, told you this carriage was old Shoutout to the train staff who came and fixed it super quickly The moon’s out tonight. Our nighttime companion Good night! Woke up somewhere new—again. Good morning from the rails! We’ve officially entered a winter wonderland Coming up on Tahe Station This is the last stop before Mohe! Almost there! It’s ridiculously warm inside the cabin, almost hot But look at the windowsill – thick layer of ice! We’re travelling through the vast forests of the Daxinganling mountains Not far now… the final destination awaits! Train’s slowing down Yes! After almost 96 hours of travel since leaving Sanya… We’ve reached the true end point of this epic journey! Mohe Station, the northernmost railway station in all of China Maybe it’s just too cold here, but… …there’s no escalator at the exit. Just… stairs. Cold, hard stairs This is pure torture for anyone with heavy luggage Yes, gotta haul the suitcases down the stairs, again The station building itself looks pretty impressive though The loud speaker at the door is really noisy So, Mohe: China’s northernmost city. Average annual temperature is just -3°C (27°F) Record low is mind-numbing -53°C (-63°F)! But here’s the kicker: its latitude is actually about the same as LONDON, England! Grabbed a shared taxi with a local into the city center The streets of China’s northernmost county town Because it’s so reliably freezing, this is actually a major winter testing ground for new cars So yeah, you often see these camouflaged prototype cars driving around “China’s Coldest Capital” Popped into a local market Frozen fruit sold outdoors! It’s a local specialty Who needs a fridge for meat when it’s -20°C outside? Roasted sweet potatoes are a common delicacy in northern China in winter If you understood Chinese, the vendor’s sales pitch playing on that speaker is hilarious Lunchtime! Decided on a cozy little hot pot restaurant Try the local beer After lunch, I came to the Mohe Dance Hall The one and only dance hall in China’s northernmost town It used to be just a regular, unassuming local spot. The decor is pure retro… stuck about 30 years in the past A few years ago, a song with the same name made this place well-known to many people. The song tells a true, heartbreaking story about an old man whose wife died in a huge forest fire here over 30 years ago The old man, even years later, would still come here often to dance alone, remembering his wife who loved to dance This is the song that this lady is singing Such a touching story behind it all Now, because of the song, it’s become a must-visit spot for tourists Lots more people arriving now It is said that many locals come here to dance at night. Left the dance hall and found myself in a town square Check out the colourful houses opposite the square! Very distinctive look This square is pretty much the highest point in town Great views overlooking the whole of Mohe from up here A sculpture called “Soaring” That’s all for this video. Thank you so much for watching. Have a great day!

In this video, I take on one of the most extreme train journeys across China — from the country’s southernmost station in Sanya to its northernmost station in Mohe. Covering nearly 6,000 kilometers, this cross-country adventure spans a staggering 50°C temperature difference, from tropical beaches to frozen forests, all within just a few days.

Timestamp:
0:00 Intro
1:19 Round One: China’s Most Colorful Train
5:30 Transfer Two: Island Train Relay Race
10:26 Stocking Up for Survival: Snacks for the Train Marathon
12:29 Haikou Station: Boarding My Home for the Next 48 Hours
15:07 Train Crossing the Strait… Then Gets Reassembled?!
19:50 Day 2 on the Train — Scenery Sliding Past Across China
23:08 Dinner Time: Trying a Self-Heating Rice Meal
25:04 Heading North — Landscapes Get Drier and Dustier
26:35 Dumplings… Delivered to My Train Window
30:20 24 Hours layover in Harbin: World’s Largest Ice & Snow Park
41:41 Riding the “Snow Country Train” to Mohe
50:05 Destination Reached! China’s ‘North Pole’ Train Station!
51:36 Exploring China’s Arctic Town

1st leg
Route: Sanya → Yazhou
Train number: S6730
Distance: about 44 km (27 miles)
Total running time: 47m
Seat Class: Unassigned Seat
Ticket Price: ¥17 (2.4 USD / 2.1 EUR / 1.8 GBP / 343 JPY / 3.7 AUD / 3.3 CAD / 2.0 CHF / 3.1 SGD / 18.1 HKD / 3296 KRW / 74 TWD)

2nd leg
Route: Yazhou → Haikou East
Train number: C7494
Distance: about 326 km (202 miles)
Total running time: 2h 45m
Seat Class: First Class
Ticket Price: ¥219 (30.4 USD / 27.1 EUR / 22.8 GBP / 4,416 JPY / 47.4 AUD / 42.5 CAD / 25.5 CHF / 39.4 SGD / 237.5 HKD / 42,437 KRW / 915.0 TWD)

3rd leg
Route: Haikou East → Haikou
Train number: S8078
Distance: about 25 km (15 miles)
Total running time: 25m
Seat Class: Unassigned Seat
Ticket Price: ¥7 (1.0 USD / 0.9 EUR / 0.7 GBP / 141 JPY / 1.5 AUD / 1.4 CAD / 0.8 CHF / 1.3 SGD / 7.6 HKD / 1,356 KRW / 29.3 TWD)

4th leg
Route: Haikou → Harbin West
Train number: Z112
Distance: about 4304 km (2674 miles)
Total running time: 48h 20m
Seat Class: Soft Sleeper Lower Berth
Ticket Price: ¥1367.5 (189.8 USD / 169.3 EUR / 142.5 GBP / 27,560 JPY / 296.0 AUD / 265.2 CAD / 158.9 CHF / 245.6 SGD / 1,484.0 HKD / 264,957 KRW / 5,717.0 TWD)

Final leg
Route: Harbin → Mohe
Train number: K7039
Distance: about 1223 km (759 miles)
Total running time: 17h 12m
Seat Class: Soft Sleeper Lower Berth
Ticket Price: ¥415.5 (57.7 USD / 51.4 EUR / 43.3 GBP / 8,374 JPY / 89.9 AUD / 80.6 CAD / 48.3 CHF / 74.6 SGD / 450.9 HKD / 80,568 KRW / 1,737.1 TWD)

▶ I use automatic translation of subtitles, so please excuse me if some look a little weird.