The deadly Covid-19 pandemic decimated to travel both in China and abroad, and caused the Chinese mainland border to close to most foreign passengers starting from late March 2020. Due to harsh and excessive quarantine and Covid testing requirements upon entry to China, David restricted travel to mainland China only this year.
From 21 January through to 28 April 2020, there was from David an almost 100-day pause on all forms of rail travel, an unprecedented step as China forcefully implemented a Zero Covid policy.
Travel started to resume in April and May 2020, but the Beijing Xinfadi seafood market Covid cluster in June 2020 brought all travel to a pause until later that summer. The border between mainland China and Macao finally opened in August 2020, but generally not for foreign passport holders, even though David finally got his Chinese Green Card that very year.
The snap lockdowns amidst the threat of new local clusters suddenly flaring up, and the consequent travel restrictions across China, meant that David’s 2020 mileage was only one-fifth of those of 2019, and 7% of his 2017 record high for miles clocked in a year.
The invention of Covid vaccines very late in 2020 would finally start shifting the pandemic and the world away from lockdowns, and, especially taking a look at mileage in 2021 and beyond, back to a form of much longed-for normal. Despite rigid and tough Covid travel rules, David was able to be part of the very first train on the Beijing-Xiongan intercity Railway in late December 2020.
2020 Travelogue
National/Territorial railway networks
China mainland: Beijing, Langfang, Shanghai, Tianjin, Xiongan, Zhangjiakou.
Urban rail/Metro/Tram networks
China mainland: Beijing Subway, Shanghai Metro, Tianjin Metro