A delegation of US congressmen will take a high-speed train journey from Shanghai to Beijing on Monday to gain first-hand experience and a better understanding of China.

"That's when they can have a little bit of a view of China through the (train) windows on a busy trip," said Jan Berris, vice-president of the New York-based National Committee on US-China Relations.

The seven-day visit is the fifth the committee has sponsored since 2006 and includes five House members: Rick Larsen, Jim Costa, Leonard Lance, Michael Turner and Billy Long. They left for Shanghai on Thursday.