A "film-themed train bound for the Film Town" departed on September 20, 2021. On the star-studded train, film and TV stars from various crews shared their insights on the film. With their latest works as part of this year’s BJIFF, filmmakers such as Vision Wei, Yu Haoming and Chen Duling also took to the red carpet & opening ceremony of the 11th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF). The distinctive red carpet journey added new flair to the BJIFF.

The "train bound for the Film Town" runs along the Huairou-Miyun Line of Beijing Suburban Railway, starting from the Beijing North Railway Station to the Gubeikou Station through Xicheng, Haidian, Changping, Huairou and Miyun Districts. Along the picturesque ride there are renowned tourist destinations, such as the Hongluo Temple, Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall, Yanqi Lake and Beijing Wtown, enabling the train to be named “Another Train Bound for Spring”. As a suburban railway that integrates the functions of commuting and tourism, the Huairou-Miyun Line provides quick access for commuters crisscrossing Huairou District, Changping District and the central city. Meanwhile, it also provides a new means of transportation for citizens traveling to the suburbs of Beijing, thus driving the industrial economic development of key functional areas and surrounding areas along the line. 

The film-themed train, launched by the BJIFF in partnership with the operation depot of the Huairou-Miyun Line of Beijing Suburban Railway, extended the red carpet to Qinghe Station as the starting point. After signing their names at Qinghe Station, the red-carpet stars took the “train bound for the Film Town” to Yanqihu Station, where they hit the red carpet and then headed to the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center, the main venue of the BJIFF next to the station. The red carpet can be described as the all-time "longest red carpet" of the BJIFF.

The red carpet event came just in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Along the ride, the red-carpet stars could experience the film atmosphere that belongs to the film on the film-themed train while enjoying the autumn scenery outside the windows. There was the classic logo of the BJIFF, composing a windmill, that could be seen everywhere as well as many classic film posters at home and abroad posted on the “train bound for the Film Town,” including those of the high-spirited and majestic Red Sorghum and the vast expanse of The Wandering Earth, to let the passengers navigate between films. The train where natural scenery does justice to the best ever synergy of the film atmosphere lighted up Beijing in autumn.

The BJIFF is a high-profile cultural label of Beijing. The Huairou-Miyun Line of Beijing Suburban Railway is also a well-known “internet celebrity” in the world of train railway. Not only does the “train bound for the Film Town” add another chapter in the joint development of culture and transportation, but also it empowers Beijing Suburban Railway with more functions. At the same time, Huairou District is making every effort to build a “China movie capital” featuring the integrated development of film & television and technology. Such a connection between the BJIFF and the Huairou-Miyun Line can also effectively boost the development of related industries in and around Huairou District, attracting more citizens to Huairou and the “movie capital” to spend the weekend and feel the charm of film. In this way, good market economic benefits can take shape, helping Huairou District build itself into a high-end, cutting-edge and innovative platform combining film and television culture with technology.

In Beijing in autumn, the "train bound for the Film Town" took a galaxy of film and TV stars, heading to Huairou District, the movie capital, and the main venue of the star-studded 11th BJIFF.