From October 12, 2017 on, it's possible for China high speed train passengers to select seat when booking tickets on 12306.cn, the official website of China Railway Corporation, following the implementation of online seat selection for high speed trains running on Hainan Island at the end of 2016. The bullet trains include all C, D, and G trains.

Previously, it's hard to buy tickets for adjacent seats and you may try many times to accomplish this. Now, with the application of online seat selection, passengers do not need to worry about being separated from travel partners on the same train any more. And they can choose to sit beside a window or the aisle according to personal preference.
 

Seats are lettered with A, B, C, D, and F in a row. A and F are beside the window while C and D are by the aisle. B is between A and C. In first class carriages, seats B do not exist.

Seat Allocation in First Class Coach

Seat Allocation in Second Class Coach

Though it sounds now very convenient for passengers to choose a seat online when booking a train ticket, foreigners may still need to do it through a travel agency for the official website is in Chinese only. TravelChinaGuide is ready to give you a hand at any time with lowest service price.

1. Note that the coach and row numbers cannot be chosen yet.
2. In case that the remaining tickets are not adjacent or cannot meet your demand, the China railway ticketing system will issue tickets at random. Therefore, we advise you to book tickets as soon as possible in order to choose a favorable seat.
3. Seat selection is not allowed on ordinary speed trains at present. However, you can tell us your preferences when making the order and we will try best to satisfy your demands.