Ever dreamed of a spontaneous getaway? The Chinese mainlandās new high-speed rails make it possible to chill in volcanic craters or hit ski slopes within hoursāall for around 600 yuan (~84 USD)! šāļø
Starting this October, you can hop on the ShenyangāBaihe high-speed line and be in the heart of the Changbai Mountains by lunchtimeāno more juggling planes, buses or slow trains. Beyond epic views, this route is boosting local medicine and mineral water businesses. šæš§
Covering hills and rivers, 77% of the track is bridges or tunnelsāengineers tackled freezing Dongbei winters and tricky geology with world-class designs. Itās an engineering flex you can actually ride! šŖ
And thatās just one highlight of the 14th Five-Year Plan. The prototype CR450 bullet train blazes along at 400 km/h, and high-speed rails now reach 97% of cities with over 500K people. Think mobile meal orders, seat booking apps and even carriages for eldersātrain travel is pure tech convenience. š±š²
On roads, the Tianshan Shengli Tunnel in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region slashes a mountain drive from 3 hours to just 20 minutes. Plus, all 30K+ rural towns and 500K+ villages now have paved roadsāperfect for weekend road trips or launching that dream cafe in your hometown. š£ļøā
In the sky, a 100 bn yuan investment over five years opened air links for 91.2% of the population, while air cargo hit nearly 9 million tonnes in 2024āgame-changing for e-commerce and global trade. āļøš¦
Globally, the ChinaāLaos Railway means brunch in Kunming and dinner in Vientiane on the same day. And ports like Chancay in Peru speed up fruit exports to Asia by 10 daysāhello fresher avocados! š„š
With a high-tech network of rail, road, air and waterways, the Chinese mainland isnāt just joining the modernization waveāitās leading it. Ready to see where these tracks take you next? š
Reference(s):
Transportation becoming a pioneer for China's modernization drive
cgtn.com




