Discover China

The new high speed rail service between Wuhan and Shenzhen has commenced, with the entire trip taking only 4 hours and 13 minutes. The new line connects Wuhan to Guangzhou and Guangzhou to Shenzhen, and departs from the Shenzhen North Railway Station where there is a direct connection with the Shenzhen Metro. It makes it easy to visit Wuhan from Shenzhen, as well as other major places of interest such as Changsha.

The high-speed rail service linking Beijing and Shanghai has opened, extending China’s world leading high-speed rail network to nearly 10,000 km – read more in the China Daily article High-speed train on fast track to success.

On 2 January we took a day trip to the city of Tianjin, famous for its great food and European colonial architecture. The 130km journey from Beijing to Tianjin took only 30 minutes on the new high speed rail service which reached a speed of 325 km/h. China has 17,000 km of high speed rail lines under construction across the country, and metro rail networks are being built in many cities.

Beijing’s beautiful Beihai Park was our destination on 3 January. Located in the centre of Beijing, Beihai Park is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved ancient imperial gardens in China with a history of about 1,000 years.

A major landmark in Beihai Park is the majestic White Dagoba which is situated on the peak of Qionghua Islet.

At last another trip to China is very near. Over three weeks from the end of December we will visit China’s capital Beijing as well as Tianjin, located south of Beijing, Zhengzhou in central China, and possibly some other places too. Beijing has an abundance of historical and cultural attractions which we will explore over several days. As it is winter, impressive sites such as the Forbidden City and Summer Palace are likely to be framed in snow. From Beijing we’ll then take a 30-minute journey on one of China’s new high speed rail trains to the city of Tianjin, and then after that travel to Zhengzhou. I can hardly wait!