High-speed train interior. Business and First Class 2019 [Photo by Bruce Connolly/chinadaily.com.cn]

Shenzhen was a much better experience for a new station had been completed in 1990, reflecting the city's status as a 'Special Economic Zone'. It was spacious, had a brightly lit ticketing hall and although lacking today’s sophisticated computerization, it was much easier there to buy tickets. Beijing Railway Station also had a dedicated office that foreigners could visit and where English was spoken, a blessing!