Travel by Rail in China (2)

China's railways have rapidly developed in recent years, particularly the high-speed railways. People can now reach different places within hours, which encourages the growth of tourism.

Here are some railways connecting fascinating parts of the country that are popular with tourists. If you want to relax this summer, just get a ticket and travel around China by train.

Beijing -- Guangzhou High-speed Railway

The Beijing -- Guangzhou High-speed Railway is currently the longest high-speed railway in China.

It starts from Beijing West Railway Station and ends at Guangzhou South Railway Station.

It calls at a total of 36 stations, passing through Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan and Guangdong provinces.

Total distance: 2298 km

Main stops: Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou East Railway Station, Wuhan, Changsha South Railway Station

Scenery along railway: Tianjie Mountain (Xinxiang), Langshan Mountain (Shaoyang), Dongjiang Lake (Chenzhou)

Handan in Hebei province [Photo/IC]

The railway also calls at many ancient cities.

Baoding -- a city with more than 3000 years of history. It has been a political and economic center of Hebei province since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911),

Handan -- a transportation junction on the border of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan provinces.

It was also the cradle of the Neolithic culture and the capital city of the State of Zhao during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).

Zhengzhou -- one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization and hometown of the Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan, legendary founder of the Chinese nation.

World Cultural Heritage site -- the Centre of Heaven and Earth is also located here.

Wuhan -- cradle of the Chu Culture of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).

It was a significant economic and industrial center in the late Qing Dynasty and plays an important role in Southern China's military and commercial development.

Changsha -- a city whose name and address haven't changed for the past 3000 years.

It has several historical relics including the Mawangdui Tombs of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC－AD 8) and the site of the Tongguan Kiln.

Yummy food is a must to attract tourists. Smelly Bean Curd (Chou Dou Fu), Changsha-style rice vermicelli (Changsha Mi Fen), Kouwei shrimp (Kou Wei Xia) and Egg in sweet fermented rice soup (Jiu Niang Tian Jiu Ba) are specialties in Changsha.

Wuhan, capital of Hubei province [Photo/IC]

Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu High-speed Railway

The Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu High-speed Railway passes the highest number of cities famous for tasty dishes in China.

It starts from Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, calls at Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing, and finally stops at Chengdu East Railway Station.

Total distance: 2078 km

Speaking of food, let's see what you can find along the railway.

Shanghai: Nanxiang steamed buns (Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao), noodles served with onion oil (Cong You Ban Mian), sweet bean paste-stuffed glutinous rice cake (Tiao Tou Gao), sweet green rice balls (Qing Tuan).

Suzhou: sweet and sour Mandarin Fish (Song Shu Gui Yu), braised soy sauce pork (Jiang Zhi Rou), and plum-shaped cake (Mei Hua Gao)

Qingtuan, a popular snack in east China. [Photo/IC] 

Wuhan: Steamed or stewed Wuchang fish, hot dry noodles (Re Gan Mian), soup dumplings (Tang Bao), glutinous rice sesame balls (Ma Tuan) and Chinese doughnuts (Mian Wo), seafood tofu (San Xian Dou Pi)

Chongqing: hot and sour rice noodles (Suan La Fen), Chongqing style boiled blood curd (Mao Xue Wang), fried dough twist (Ma Hua), hot pot (Huo Guo)

Chengdu: Long Wontons (Long Chao Shou), Zhong Dumplings (Zhong Shui Jiao), Sichuan noodles with peppery sauce (Dan Dan Mian), bean jelly (Liang Fen), sliced beef and ox tongue in chili sauce (Fu Qi Fei Pian), crusty pancake (Guo Kui)

Hot pot in Chongqing [Photo/IC]