China's 2025 official English guide says foreign travelers may buy rail tickets with a passport through Railway 12306, station counters or authorized outlets and board with the document used for booking. This checklist covers booking, name matching, changes, refunds and departure from Jingdezhen North.
Match the travel document at booking
When using the official Railway 12306 channel, enter the name, nationality, date of birth and document number exactly as shown in the passport. Check every traveler separately and do not substitute a Chinese nickname, an informal spelling or an expired passport number. After a third-party booking, still verify train, date, stations and document in the final order.
The official guide says foreign travelers may use a passport or another valid document to buy tickets on Railway 12306, at a station counter or at an authorized ticket outlet. Payment does not complete every identity check. Follow only 12306 or station instructions for pending verification, and never send a full passport image or verification code to an unofficial individual.
Leave time for changes, refunds and transfers
When plans change, use the original booking channel to check the change or refund deadline, fee and seat availability. Do not rely only on a chat-based reseller, and never assume a missed train can always be changed without conditions. Follow the station printed on the ticket: Jingdezhen North, Jingdezhen Railway Station and neighboring-city stations are not interchangeable.
For a return from downtown, Sanbao, Yaoli or rural Fuliang, allow for holiday traffic, rain and loading. Declare bulky ceramics to the driver and leave time for security screening and fragile-item inspection. Do not connect the final train with an unverified attraction shuttle.
Three checks on departure day
Carry the original passport used for the booking and arrive early enough to follow the staffed or passport-compatible gate. The official guide also lists a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, a passport-loss report certificate, and a temporary international travel document issued by an embassy or consulate together with a valid visa or stay/residence document; acceptance remains subject to railway verification.
Save train, carriage, seat, hotel address in Chinese and pickup contact offline. Gates and crowd controls can change, so the 12306 order, station screens and staff directions take priority. A multilingual guide may assist communication but cannot replace real-name verification.