A Journey Across Asia
take a five-hour train ride across the entire continent!
It’s likely that I say this in one way or another every single week, but I’ve got something really special this time around. While I was looking through the bookshelves at a Habitat Re:Store in my area, I spotted a whole line of train and travel tapes that had recently been decommissioned from a local library. I often come across train videos, however it’s very rare that I find some from these regions, which seems somewhat odd to me, as many Asian countries, like Japan, are known the world over for their highspeed rail travel.
Most train media that I come across is very America-themed, or centered around particular areas of Western Europe, both when I’m digging around shops or looking around the internet for something to watch, so I’m very happy to be able to share this with y’all, as I’m aware that trains are of express interest to my readers. The footage on these tapes was all filmed in the late 1980s or early 90s and has a really interesting and distinct quality to it. It’s very interesting to see the contrast in quality of life and technology between the different regions depicted here.
According to this listing on AbeBooks, there’s at least 20 tapes in the World’s Greatest Train Ride Videos set, however it does appear that I managed to get most of the tapes from Asia. I’ll check back at the same store to see if I can pick up the rest of the continent, though I tried to grab everything I could find. It also looks like these were some of the first produced, as the majority of the other tapes in the series, especially the European tapes have mid 1990’s production dates.
On the same shelf, I found several other travel tapes, many of which I haven’t been able to find anywhere online, despite being distributed by the same company, Publisher’s Choice Video. Some of them look really interesting, so of course these will all make their debut in future articles
This is my last post for the month, so I do hope you enjoy it! I’ll be back the second week of March with a BIG stack of dusty music VHS’s featuring a whole lot of country line dancin’. For now though, let’s get right into the tapes!
Vietnam: World's Greatest Train Ride Videos
1989 | Runtime 52 Minutes
Your train adventure through Southeast Asia begins in the mystical mountains of North Thailand with a traditional wish before a Buddhist shrine. You'll then travel by diesel locomotive through vast rice paddies stretching across the horizon to Bangkok, capital of Thailand. Your incredible train ride will cover over 1,200 miles, with stops at the islands of Phuket and Penang, through famed Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, until you reach your final destination of the teeming port city of Singapore. You'll travel aboard the Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Express and see an amazing array of sights, including the aftermath of an actual monsoon, bustling street vendors and rickshaws, the beautiful orchids of Singapore, and so much more.
Korea: World's Greatest Train Ride Videos
1992 | Runtime 55 Minutes
Your train ride begins in the capital city of Seoul, as you set out on a fantastic journey across the vibrant and scenic country of Korea. You'll then travel to historic Panmunjon on the 38th parallel, the heavily armed border between north and south. Your incredible train ride takes you past the internationally renowned POSCO steelworks, onto the enchanting monastery of Haeinsa, through to the bustling city of Pusan, making a very special side trip to the island of Cheju. You'll travel aboard the deluxe express Saemaul train and see all Korea's amazing sights, including Buddhist monks and beautiful pagodas, the truly mystical "grandfather statues" on Cheju, and actual ancient burial grounds!
China: World's Greatest Train Ride Videos
1993 | Runtime 58 Minutes
Your train adventure begins in the capital city of Beijing, as you set out across the vast and mysterious Chinese landscape. See for yourself the amazing great Wall of China and travel to The Imperial Palace. Then you're off to the Forbidden City, the inner sanctum of imperial authority. Your thrilling train trip through this exotic land takes you from its biggest modern cities to its smallest, most traditional villages!
Along the way, you'll experience first-hand the epic size of the Chinese mainland and see beautiful pagodas, ancient Buddhas and many other timeless wonders come alive.
Japan: World's Greatest Train Ride Videos
1988 | Runtime 53 Minutes
Your adventure begins in the capital city of Tokyo, as you set out on a fantastic journey across the awe-inspiring land- scape of Japan. You'll see the spectacular sight of the mighty Mt. Fuji, ancient Shinto temple and the mysterious Great Buddha statue. Next see tremendous feats of technological wizardry, including the tunnel of Seikan and the new bridge towers which are taller than the Great Pyramids. You'll travel aboard the famous high-speed Shinkasen "Bullet Train", one of the fastest trains in the entire world, with white gloved attendants and luxury class compartments.
Vietnam: World's Greatest Train Ride Videos
1990 | Runtime 54 Minutes
Your train adventure begins in the capital city of Hanoi, as you set out across the panoramic and vibrant Vietnamese landscape. You'll see for yourself the bustling marketplaces of Vietnam's many teeming cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da-nang. Along the way, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at Vietnam's hearty and energetic people. Then, your incredible train ride takes you through the vast rice paddies of the Mekong Delta. You'll travel aboard the diesel electric Duong Sac Vietnam, and see the grand splendor of French colonial architecture, the Imperial City of Hue and tranquil fleets of fishing vessels and more!
Well, that’s it for this week! I hope you enjoyed the tapes! If you’re looking for more, please check out my page on Archive.org for the full list of digitized media. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message right here or drop a comment below. If you haven’t already, please check out this virtual train ride across the Americas or any of my other previous posts here. Thanks so much for checking out this week’s edition of Diptych!
See you soon!
—Forrest
It is a shame that you're not allowed to share train videos on Youtube anymore. You weren't the only content provider axed. Many small companies are holding onto their library because they never changed with the times. In the end we all lose. Looking forward to viewing these journeys tonight. Thank you comrade.