In under three hours, China’s bullet trains whisk travelers back 1,200 years in time

Visiting Shanghai is an exhilarating experience. This financial hub of 25 million was seemingly made for skyscraper-ogling, fashion-finding and dumpling-sampling. Its metro system is clean and efficient, making zipping around town — or to the next city — incredibly easy. But at some point, urban fatigue kicks in, a sign it’s time to disappear into the misty mountains so often captured in traditional Chinese ink paintings.

Thanks to China’s huge network of high-speed railways — the largest on the planet — the calming countryside is never far away. Take Wuyuan, a rural county in the landlocked province of Jiangxi in eastern China. Less than three hours away from Shanghai by bullet train, it’s filled with centuries-old villages, where white walls and tiled roofs beckon, and hearty meals made with ingredients straight off the farms are the norm.

This juxtaposition offers a fascinating opportunity to soak in both China’s ultra-modern present and its famed past on a short trip.

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