North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Beijing by train on Tuesday to attend a military parade with senior Chinese and Russian officials. The visit marks his first trip abroad since his 2023 Vladivostok meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Kim, who made the journey in his signature bulletproof train, will join Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday to watch a military parade that commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of Second World War and China's eight-year fight against imperial Japan.
The luxurious forest-green train has been a favoured mode of transport for generations of North Korean leaders, including Mr Kim’s father and grandfather.
Although slow – according to reports the train travels at 40kph – the train is seen as a safe way for North Korean leaders to take rare trips abroad. While a flight from Pyongyang to Beijing typically takes two hours, a train journey can take 20 to 24 hours.
Experts say that, compared to the country's fleet of old-fashioned aircraft, trains offer a more comfortable space for a large entourage, security guards, food and amenities. They also provide a place to discuss agendas before meetings.
In February 2019, Mr Kim used the train to make an almost 4,500km journey to Vietnam for a meeting with US President Donald Trump. The trip lasted almost two-and-a-half days.
Although little is known about the amenities on the train, media reports over the years paint a picture of a rolling palace. It has all the communications equipment and gadgets necessary to function as Mr Kim’s “moving office” and includes an area for his bulletproof Mercedes-Benz limousine.
The North Korean leader's compartment is lined from floor to ceiling with iron plates to protect him from attacks.
Before Mr Kim's trip to China, the North Korean government shared images of him onboard the train. The pictures showed him sitting with aides in what appeared to be his office.
Outsiders are rarely allowed to board the train. Russian military commander Konstantin Pulikovsky was invited aboard by Mr Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, in 2001.
Lt Gen Pulikovsky published an account of his trip in the 2002 book Orient Express. He described extravagant banquets with an extensive menu that included lobster flown in from Paris and singing sessions with “beautiful lady conductors”.
"It was possible to order any dish of Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and French cuisine," he wrote.
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