A Historic Route

From its beginnings as a combination of national interest and imperialist ambition, through military and political conflict, and from its past as a fountain of prosperity to its present as a rich, unforgettable experience for travelers, the Trans-Manchurian railway has shaped the course of both Russia and China in its century-plus of existence. And the story of that existence is a fascinating window into Russian history.

The Trans-Manchurian railway was born of two national concerns. On the one hand, Tsar Alexander III recognized the need to better unify his sprawling country, as well as more easily access the vast resources of Siberia. On the other, Western European powers were becoming increasingly involved in Asia, posing a security threat to Russia’s eastern territory that was thousands of kilometers from the nation’s seat of power (not to mention the bulk of its defensive forces).

So, in 1891, construction began on the Trans-Siberian railway, an ambitious national project which would connect Moscow with the distant Pacific port of Vladivostok. Construction would take 25 years, cost over a billion rubles and involve tens of thousands of workers laying as much as 600 kilometers of track a year.

However, as the project wore on, especially in the Lake Baikal region where construction ran the slowest and most expensive due to the terrain, a tantalizing option came into view. Instead of the curving route through Russian territory, what if there could be a shortcut through the northern lip of the Chinese region of Manchuria, which rose like a wedge between Vladivostok and the rest of Russia? Not only would this shorten the route by over 500 kilometers, but it could also link Russia with its neighbor with a southern spur line allowing for a Moscow to Beijing train.

Toward this end, in 1898 Russia seized the city of Port Arthur on the Liaodong Peninsula and “persuaded” China’s Qing dynasty to give them control of the territory in a treaty that also created a secret alliance against Japan. This gave Russia a vital Pacific port, and a Southern Manchurian extension was to run from the main Trans-Manchurian line to Port Arthur and the Chinese capital in Beijing from a central hub in a small village called Harbin.

From that central hub, the railroad ran west to the Russian city of Chita and east to Vladivostok, with a southern branch reaching down to Port Arthur and Beijing. Sleepy villages all along these routes would flourish, growing into major cities over a span of just a few years and rich with Russian immigrants and tourists alike.

But Russia’s claim on Manchuria was disputed by another regional power – Japan. In 1904 the Japanese Navy made a surprise attack on Port Arthur, destroying most of the Russian Far East fleet and seizing the rest. After a remarkable 11 months of resistance, the city ultimately surrendered. The humiliating defeat cost Russia both the city and the Southern Manchurian railway extension, not to mention a sizeable portion of their political influence in the region.

Over the following decades, the railway would become a point of military and political in the region. While Russia renounced it’s claims on Chinese territory in 1924, it retained control of the vital railway. When the Chinese seized it in 1929, Russian troops forced its return. It wouldn’t be until 1952 that the Soviets finally gave full control of the Chinese portion of the railway to the People’s Republic of China.

The modern Trans-Manchurian Railway, also called the Chinese-Eastern Railway, still runs largely the original route, though the travel time has been cut by more than half, to only 6 days. It still gives tourists a spectacular view of the steppes of China, as well as the historic cities that grew from the original railway. Some of these have contracted from their “Golden Age” of the railway, though the signs of the earlier time, including many of the historic railway stations, can still be found.

Every Tuesday the eastbound train – the Vostok (Russian for “East”) departs Moscow at Yaroslavsky station for the almost 9000 kilometer run to Beijing. There is a Beijing to Moscow train which departs from the Chinese capital’s main city at the same time. While they are neither the most luxurious or modern trains on the Trans-Siberian, the route offers many stops for basic amenities (and an occasional shower) at cities along the way – and an unparalleled experience for intrepid travelers wishing to see the two capitals.