China is best known on the rails for its high-speed network, where the goal is to get from one city to the next as quickly as possible. A newer kind of rail travel works the other way round. Instead of treating the train as a way to reach a destination, it makes the train the destination. That is the idea behind Train of Glamour, a luxury railway tourism brand from Shanghai. This guide explains who is behind the brand, which trains it runs, what life on board is like, and who these journeys suit best.
What Is Train of Glamour?
Train of Glamour (known as 星享铁旅 in Chinese) is the railway culture-tourism brand of Fosun Infrastructure Group, a company based in Shanghai. It builds and runs tourist trains rather than scheduled passenger services. Every journey is planned as a complete holiday, including the cabin, the meals, the scenery outside the window and the excursions away from the train.
The brand’s guiding line is “The Train Is The Destination.” In practice, this means guests are not rushed. Days are built around the ride itself as well as the places along the way, so time in the dining car, the lounge or the observation car is part of the trip and not a gap between sights.
Travel writers have described the brand as China’s answer to the luxury rail category that European names such as Belmond and the Orient Express made famous. The South China Morning Post noted that China has the largest high-speed network in the world, yet its conventional railway lines are about twice as long. That leaves a lot of track where slow, scenic travel can grow.
The Three Trains
Train of Glamour currently presents three trains, each with its own character and region:
- Silk Road Express: the flagship. Its first voyage ran in July 2024 from Xining to Dunhuang, two gateway cities on the ancient Silk Road. Routes have since grown to include southern Xinjiang and the green southwest of China.
- Hulunbuir Express: a train for the far north of China, with seasonal itineraries that focus on lesser-known places in the northeast. Its winter programme includes a six-day, five-night polar ice journey.
- Shiping Narrow Gauge Train: a heritage experience in Yunnan that celebrates the region’s narrow-gauge railway history.
Design and Craftsmanship
The Silk Road Express was designed with some serious credentials behind it. The interiors come from HBA, a well-known international hospitality design firm. The carriages were built by CRRC Sifang in Qingdao, and the exterior livery was created by the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University. A writer for the South China Morning Post described the exterior as celadon blue and red with hand-painted gilded lettering, which makes the train easy to spot among the plain carriages on a station platform.
Inside, the train is arranged as a series of themed cars:
- Star Palace Lounge Car: a social space that blends Eastern elegance with Western style.
- Hanyuefu Poetry Observation Car: a multi-purpose car with carved wood and soft lighting inspired by the old capital Chang’an. In night mode, a projection screen turns it into a small cinema.
- Feast Hall and Xihai County dining cars: one Chinese in style and one Western, so guests can choose the mood of each meal.
- 270-degree Panoramic Car: large windows that connect the carriage with the landscape during the day.
- Tea room and private entertainment spaces: quiet rooms for conversation away from the main lounge.
Suites on Board
The Silk Road Express carries a maximum of 80 guests in 38 ensuite suites. That small number is a big part of the appeal, because every guest has room to move and service stays personal. The suite types are:
| Suite | Size | Main features |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Suite | 22 sqm | King-size bed (71 x 79 in), smart TOTO toilet, THG Paris shower fixtures |
| King Suite | 11 sqm | One large bed (67 x 75 in), private bathroom |
| Twin Suite | 11 sqm | Two single beds (30 x 75 in each) |
| Family Suite | 11 sqm | Double bed (67 x 75 in) plus a child’s bed (24 x 67 in); one child travels free on listed itineraries |
Bathroom amenities include BVLGARI toiletries, Aesop care sets, Dyson hair dryers and STENDERS bath salts, with child-friendly essentials for families.
Dining, Service and Life on Board
Meals are a central part of the experience. The menus pair high-quality fresh ingredients with local dishes from the regions the train passes through, and they are refreshed regularly. Tables are set with antique British silverware and Jingdezhen porcelain, a detail that links the meal to China’s long craft tradition. Itinerary pages for the newer southwest routes describe the dining as Michelin-caliber.
Service follows the same standard. A train concierge team is available around the clock, and a tourism ambassador accompanies guests through the journey with a friendly, family-style approach. The brand has also described a rotating programme of onboard activities that includes afternoon tea, cabaret shows, cocktail evenings, art talks, gourmet tastings and spa treatments.
How a Journey Works: On the Train and Off It
A Train of Glamour trip is split between time on the rails and carefully arranged days on the ground. Three examples show the range.
- Northwest China (five days): the 2027 Bustling Beginning itinerary links Xining and Dunhuang. Guests visit Kumbum Monastery, the mirror-like Chaka Salt Lake and the dunes of Mingsha Mountain, and enter the Mogao Grottoes with VIP access.
- Southwest China (four days): the Yunnan–Vietnam Railway journey runs through Kunming, Xishuangbanna and Hekou. Guests walk through tropical rainforest with a resident naturalist, cross into northern Vietnam to ride the cable car up Fansipan, and stop beside the historic railway bridge for a cup of Vietnamese coffee.
- Sichuan and Yunnan (three days): a return route that departs from Chengdu West Railway Station, reviewed by the South China Morning Post in May 2026.
Off-train excursions are arranged with private transfers, dedicated guides and, on several itineraries, special access to sites that are hard to see in a normal group visit.
Who Train of Glamour Suits
These journeys are a good match for:
- Couples and families who want a relaxed trip without packing and unpacking at every stop.
- Travellers who enjoy culture and landscape and prefer to see them at a gentle pace.
- Guests who value service, design and good food as much as the sights.
- Anyone who has seen China’s big cities and wants a different way to explore the country.
They are less suited to travellers who want a fast, flexible, low-cost trip, or who prefer to choose each day’s plan on the spot. A luxury train follows a set route and timetable by design.
Things to Know Before Booking
- Train timetables for some 2027 itineraries are not yet confirmed, so touring times on the site are for reference only.
- Guests should carry valid identification and arrive at the station at least 40 minutes before departure.
- Mogao Grottoes tickets must be reserved about 30 days ahead using each guest’s ID details. Late bookings are handled on a best-effort basis, and an alternative sight may replace the caves if tickets cannot be secured.
- Some stops are at altitude. Xining sits at about 2,200 metres and Chaka at about 3,000 metres, so a slow first day is sensible.
- Pricing and departure dates are listed per itinerary, so it is best to check the current page and ask the team before planning flights.
The Bigger Picture
Train of Glamour is still growing. Press coverage in 2026 noted that the brand has a new train in development and is exploring routes beyond the original Silk Road line. If the current pace continues, luxury rail in China could become a travel category of its own, much as it has long been in Europe, Southeast Asia and southern Africa.
For travellers, the appeal is simple. The train is not a way to skip the journey. It is the journey, with a comfortable suite, a good meal and a changing view outside the window.