Of all the trains in China’s luxury rail family, the Anyi Express is the one most likely to confuse a careful buyer. Search it and you will find a 16-day Xinjiang loop priced from RMB 16,980 — and, from other sellers, a ten-day Hubei-Zhejiang-Fujian-Jiangxi circuit from RMB 2,980. Same train name, a six-fold difference in price. Both are real. This page separates them, and then assesses the long-haul product on its own terms.
The two products under one name
| Xinjiang long haul | Short senior breaks | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 15–16 days | ~10 days |
| Region | North & south Xinjiang | Hubei, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi |
| From | RMB 16,980 | RMB 2,980 |
| Positioning | Mid-market themed touring | Budget senior group travel |
A practical consequence: some channel sources describe the train as twelve cars with 252 berths, others as seventeen cars with 332 berths. Both figures probably describe a real configuration — for a different product line or a different year. Until the operator publishes a definitive specification, treat any single car count as provisional. What follows assesses the Xinjiang product, which is the one most international readers will encounter.
The Xinjiang product
The Anyi launched its Xinjiang programme on 20 May 2025 from Chengdu West station, built by Sichuan China Youth Travel Service together with China Railway Chengdu Group. All 332 berths on the first departure sold out two months in advance, and 92% of those passengers were domestic — a markedly different crowd from the入境-heavy flagship trains. The theme is the same panda IP that runs through the family, with entertainment, dining and smart-cabin touches, plus a doctor accompanying each departure.
On board: a multi-function entertainment car, a lounge bar, KTV and mahjong rooms, and two shower rooms per sleeping car. The tone is social and group-oriented rather than intimate.
Cabins and bathrooms — the honest part
The cabin ladder is unusually legible, and the bathroom question splits it cleanly in two:
| Cabin | Bathroom | From (RMB / person) |
|---|---|---|
| Four-berth standard | Shared | 16,980 |
| Four-berth, Gui Ge upgraded Yashe deluxe | Shared | 19,980 |
| Four-berth, Yashe | Shared | 26,980 |
| Four-berth, Yaju | Shared | 27,980 |
| Two-berth, Yue Fu | En-suite | 49,980 |
So: four of the five tiers share bathrooms, and only the top two-berth Yue Fu category gets a private one. That is why we classify the Anyi as a themed mid-market train rather than a luxury product — the majority of berths do not meet the en-suite standard that defines the top of this market. The top cabin, at RMB 49,980, comes close to the entry price of the Panda Express Chengdu (RMB 66,999), but it is a minority configuration.
One pricing quirk confirms who this train is built for: age-based surcharges. Travellers under 60 pay RMB 1,153 more, ages 60–64 pay RMB 733, and 65 and over pay RMB 239. A pricing structure that charges younger passengers more is a senior-market product by design.
Who it suits
- Choose the Anyi if you want the full Xinjiang circuit at roughly a quarter of the Chengdu’s price, you are travelling with a group that would fill four-berth compartments anyway, and you value onboard social life — KTV and mahjong are features here, not bugs.
- Choose the top cabin if a private bathroom is non-negotiable but budget caps out below the Chengdu — the Yue Fu two-berth at RMB 49,980 is the bridge between the two markets.
- Look elsewhere if you are an international traveller wanting an English-language contract and a quieter, more private product; the Chengdu or Jinxiu Tianfu will fit better.
Booking
Like every train in this market except one, the Anyi is sold as an all-inclusive package through authorised channels — not on 12306. When enquiring, be explicit about which product you mean: the Xinjiang loop and the short breaks are sold by different sellers at wildly different prices, and conflating them is the most common mistake we see. Our booking guide covers the process and the red flags.
See the Anyi Express →Ask Which Product Fits
Sources: China Tourism News / Ministry of Culture and Tourism repost (May 2025) on the launch; authorised-channel product pages (Aug 2026) for cabin tiers, age surcharges and the short-break programme. Car-count figures vary between sources and are treated as provisional. Fares are channel-published reference rates — confirm before booking.