After a day tour of Haikou, I took the overnight train towards Guangzhou. As Hainan Island is located off the mainland, this train journey involves the train carriages being loaded onto the ferry to cross the sea and enter the Chinese mainland. Unfortunately, this part of the journey occurs at night so I wasn't able to see it happening.
Guangzhou railway station. It's easy to get around Guangzhou myself, or in fact, most cities in China, since the city metro is usually connected to the railway station.
I have previously been to Guangzhou. So this time I opted to see the Shamian Island in Guangzhou. This is not really an island as there is a pedestrian bridge from the nearest metro station.
Shamian Island provides a laidback vibe to hectic city life of Guangzhou. Pleasant strolls can be had in among the tree-lined boulevards. There are ancient architectures to be admired as well!
Soon after, I went to the railway station to board my bullet train bound for Changsha. I ought to have purchased the train tickets earlier, as the train seats do sell out on this popular route.
First class in the bullet train 😀
Unlike the shorter first class train route from Sanya to Haikou, this longer train route does offer complimentary snack box and bottle of water.
I also purchased a model of the train for keepsake.
As it was getting late in Changsha, I headed straight to the airport from the train station, on the Changsha maglev. On hindsight, the maglev runs late into the night, so I could have used the metro to explore the city before getting to the airport.
Currently, Changsha airport is showcasing an aviation exhibition, with life-sized planes.
There is even a flight simulation centre for the aviation enthusiast!
A mock-up of the first class cabin
At the front is the cabin simulator. I didn't ask about the price of the experience though.
With that, this is the end of my short but fulfilling tour of China 😀
