Wang Fuchun was a Beijing-based photographer with a rare insider’s view of China’s railway world. He joined the railway system in 1970 after completing his military service, following the path of his older brother who already worked in rail. Photography became part of his official job duties during the 1970s, giving him direct access to a world most outside observers never saw up close.
In 1970s China, trains were the main way ordinary people traveled long distances. Economic reforms had not yet reshaped the country, and the rail network was essential to daily life. Steam locomotives still hauled passenger trains alongside diesel engines, and journeys routinely lasted many hours or even several days.
Carriages were often packed, especially during peak travel seasons. Passengers shared tight quarters with strangers for the entire length of their journey. Wang’s photographs capture this atmosphere directly — crowded cars filled with workers, families, soldiers, and students all moving across the country.
His images show passengers sleeping upright in seats or stretched across sleeper berths. Some share meals brought from home. Others read newspapers, talk with seatmates, or stare out at passing landscapes.
Clothing styles — including the Mao suits common in that era — and the types of luggage people carried mark these images firmly in their time. Every detail serves as a precise record of what train travel looked and felt like for millions of Chinese people during that decade.
