Travel between Shanghai and Nanjing just got 50% faster!

A new high speed rail line opened last week and covers the 301 km route in just 73 minutes—80 minutes less than previously—making it the fastest inter-city link in the country and the perfect weekend getaway from Shanghai.


One of China's four ancient capitals, Nanjing has much to offer the weekend tourist and is a destination in its own right. A bustling and cosmopolitan Chinese city, it is filled with tree-lined streets, small parks and lakes and surrounded on two sides by mountain and woodland which make for a nice escape from city life. Head out to Zhongshan Ling, where Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum spans the steep hillside, its white stone steps and blue glazed roof tiles contrasting beautifully with the surrounding green slopes, and enjoy the hazy views from up top.

Downtown highlights include the Presidential Palace, the Nanjing City Wall and Confucius Temple. On a more sombre note, the recently expanded Nanjing Massacre Memorial and Museum is a chilling remembrance to the dark period of brutality that took place during WWII when 350,000 Chinese citizens lost their lives under the Japanese occupation of the city. Not for the faint-hearted, some of the imagery and exhibits here are extremely vivid, leaving every visitor emotionally touched.

A university town, Nanjing also has lively nightlife scene and plenty of good eats, particularly around the Fuzi Temple area and Shiziqiao off Hunan Lu. There are hotels for every budget and if you're not located in Shanghai and able to take advantage of the souped up new train travel option, there are flights available from all over the country.

If you are planning on doing any train travel in China, check out this great new resource for planning your trip.