Mahjong tiles click in Chengdu - and on train

There's an old joke that an airplane passenger bound for Chengdu, population 14 million, can hear mahjong tiles clicking in the city before landing.

The joke captures how popular mahjong is in the capital of Sichuan province. During a stroll, visitors are bound to find residents playing the game in outdoor tea houses or in parks. Virtually every backstreet has little tables with crowds of people gathered around and listening to the click of the tiles.

Chengdu's love of mahjong is better known than its other attractions, such as the giant panda, Sichuan Opera and Sichuan cuisine, according to an online survey by www.sohu.com at the end of 2000.

The idea behind the survey was to find the one thing that best represents Chengdu and to seal the name of it in a jar for the residents of the city to open 1,000 years from now.

So it is no surprise that passengers will be able to play mahjong on a train leaving from Chengdu.

On Wednesday morning, China's first panda-themed tourist train left Chengdu Railway Station for the E'mei Station along the Chengdu Kunming Railway on a trial run. Known as a mobile star hotel, the so-called panda train has many elements related to the iconic bears.

"Images of giant pandas can been found on the exterior and interior of the train. Passengers can even try a cake shaped like a panda," said Zhong Jun, a middle-aged passenger who boarded the train on Wednesday morning.

The train comprises 12 cars with a fixed number of seats — 252. It integrates transportation, accommodations, catering and entertainment.

Zheng Weitai, an information officer for China Railway Chengdu Group Co., said the panda train will make its formal debut on Sunday, leaving Chengdu for Zunyi and Bijie in Guizhou province.