My Story
For the past decade, I've been deeply fascinated by China's railway network — arguably the most ambitious infrastructure project in human history. What started as a personal curiosity in 2015 grew into a passion: documenting train routes, sharing travel tips, and helping travelers from around the world navigate China's sprawling rail system.
I've been writing about China train travel on my blog China Train 12306 for years. My guides cover everything from booking tickets on the official 12306 platform, to choosing the right seat class, to planning multi-city itineraries across the country's 45,000+ km high-speed rail network.
In 2025, thanks to the incredible advances in AI, I was able to bring a long-held vision to life: a fully interactive, visual map of China's entire high-speed rail network. Using AI-assisted development (what the community playfully calls "vibe coding"), I built this website to help travelers see the network — not just read about it. Every one of the 451 lines and 16,000+ stations is mapped, searchable, and clickable.
By the Numbers
China Railway
Mapped
Visualized
Network Coverage
My Journey
The Spark
Took my first high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai and fell in love with the speed, comfort, and engineering. Started researching the network in my spare time.
Blogging Beginnings
Launched China Train 12306 to share guides on booking tickets, reading train tickets, and planning routes. Helped thousands of foreign travelers avoid common pitfalls.
Deepening Expertise
Continued documenting the network as it expanded past 40,000 km. Covered new lines, new train types (Fuxing Hao), and the launch of 12306's English version for foreign passports.
China HSR Map is Born
Leveraged AI-assisted development to build this interactive map — turning years of research into a visual tool. Now travelers can see the entire network at a glance, plan multi-stop routes, and search train schedules on Trip.com.
Why This Map Exists
China's high-speed rail network is the largest in the world — but for foreign travelers, it can feel overwhelming. Timetables are in Chinese, station names are unfamiliar, and the sheer scale makes route planning difficult.
This map exists to bridge that gap. By visualizing all 451 lines and 16,000+ stations on one interactive map, travelers can:
- See which cities are connected by high-speed rail
- Plan multi-stop itineraries with the Route Planner
- Search train schedules and book tickets via Trip.com
- Understand the scale and reach of China's rail network
My goal is simple: make train travel in China accessible, visual, and stress-free for every international visitor.
What You Can Trust
10 Years of Expertise
A decade of hands-on experience riding, researching, and writing about China's railways. Not a faceless corporate site — this is a one-person passion project.
Complete Data
Every line and station comes from open railway data, cross-referenced with official sources. No shortcuts, no approximations.
Transparent Affiliates
Train schedule searches link to Trip.com, which may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the map free and ad-light. I only recommend services I use myself.
Independent & Honest
I'm not affiliated with China Railway or any government body. My advice is independent and based on real experience — if something doesn't work well, I'll tell you.
Your Voice Matters
This website is a work in progress, and I genuinely want to hear from you.
If you have suggestions on how to make this map better — whether it's a missing station, a feature idea, a bug report, or just feedback on your experience — I'm all ears. Every piece of feedback helps me improve the tool for the next traveler.