Into Central China

Posted on October 3, 2023

10/3/98: This train winds into Central China through some incredible countryside. John K., who picked us up from the train, later told us he had read somewhere that this route was among the most difficult to construct in the world, due to the number of mountains and ravines that needed to be tunneled through or spanned with steel and wood. Technical marvel or not, it is truly a pleasure to watch the landscape float by our compartment window… Lanzhuo is an industrial city off the beaten track for tourists, in north-central China… A bit dingy and worn out, though there are signs of growth with new construction and a vibrant working-class spirit… After dinner we had a pretty interesting conversation about the religious diversity of the city (Muslims, Buddhists, Confucianism, non-religious, Atheism, and even Christians), and the spiritual battles and conflicts that go with being a Christian in this part of the world… We need to be praying for people all over China.

NOTE: The photo above shows our train winding through the mountains and valeys from Beijing to Lanzhuo, China.

 

Ruth and I enjoying a meal in our train compartment.
Lanzhuo is an industrial city just south of the Gobi Desert, which means the air is regularly hazy and polluted.
A working-class city abuzz with commuters to and from the factories.
Far from the more modern and cosmopolitan cities in the East, many workers in Lanzhuo still wore the traditional Mao suit and cap when we visited in 1998.
Being so far west, Lanzhuo is a culturally and religiously diverse city, including a Hui and Uyghur Muslims, who are among the most persecuted people groups in the country.