Today, the newly opened high-speed railway has become another favorite choice for people when traveling. By taking the high-speed railway, people free themselves from the crush of the train travel and the long, dusty hike to the airport. They are able to have the morning tea in Guangzhou, gnaw duck necks in Wuhan at noon and eat the roast duck in Beijing at night.

Wuguang High-speed Railway, connecting the major big cities like Wuhan, Changsha and Guangzhou, is one of the most welcomed lines taken by visitors, as it traverses the regions with deep culture and mouth-watering snacks.

Guangzhou – Hengshan (Changsha in Hunan Province)

Take the Wuguang High-speed Railway in Guangzhou in the morning, and about two hours later, visitors arrive in Hengshan Railway Station. Hengshan county in Hunan Province is worth visiting as the famous Hengshan Mountain, one of the Five Mountains in China, is located there.

Hengshan Mountain, Hengshan city, Hunan Province

Mount Heng (Chinese: è¡¡å±±; pinyin: Héng Shān), known in China as Nan Yue (南岳; Nányuè), is located in Hunan Province and is one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism in China. Heng Shan is a mountain range 150 km long with 72 peaks. The Huiyan Peak is the south end of the peaks, Yuelu Mountain in Changsha city is the north end, and the Zhurong Peak is the highest, with 1300.2 meters above sea level.

At the foot of the mountain stands the largest temple in southern China, the Grand Temple of Mount Heng (Nanyue Damiao), which is the largest group of ancient buildings in Hunan Province.

Admission fee: 100 yuan

Transportation: take the tourist bus in Changsha South Bus Station to Hengshan Mountain.

What to eat: chicken soup in Banshan Pavilion

Yuelu Academy, Changsha, Hunan Province

As one of the four most prestigious academies over the last 1,000 years in China, Yuelu Academy has been a famous institution of higher learning as well as a centre of academic activities and cultures since it was formally set up in 976 (the Northern Song Dynasty). The Academy, which has survived the Song (960–1279), Yuan (1279–1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, was converted into Hunan Institute of Higher Learning in 1903. It was later renamed Hunan Normal College, Hunan Public Polytechnic School, and finally Hunan University in 1926.

Admission fee: 30 yuan

Opening hours: 08:00 – 18:00

Take bus no.132, 202, 305, Lishan Special Line or Tourism Bus Line 1 and get off at Yuelu Mountain North or Yuelu Mountain South

Changsha – Wuhan (Hubei Province)

With less than two hours, the high-speed railway takes visitors from the time-honored Changsha to Wuhan, a city of historical and cultural values in Hubei Province, and also the destination of the Wuguang High-speed Rail. In Wuhan city, you'll find that you can do all sorts of things.

Yellow Crane Tower

Erected at the bank of the Yangtze River in Wuchang district, Wuhan city, the Yellow Crane Tower (Chinese: 黄鹤楼; pinyin: Huáng Hè Lóu) is 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) away from its original site because the tower was newly built in 1985. The five-story tower is 51.4 meters (about 169 feet) high with the roof and eaves covered with gold-colored glazed tiles. Grand and imposing as it is, the more than 60 upturned eaves in four directions resemble yellow cranes gracefully spreading their wings to fly. Inside the five floors are displayed frescos, couplets and some cultural relics. Famous lines praising the tower can be found here. The Yellow Crane Tower together with Yueyang Pavilion in Hunan Province and Tengwang Pavilion (Pavilion of Prince Teng) in Jiangxi Province are praised as the Three Most Notable Towers south of the Yangtze River. 

Admission fee: 50 yuan

Take bus No.1, 4, 10, 61, 64, 108, 401, 402, 411, 413, 541, 542, 554, 571, 584, 607, 609 or 706 and get off at Huang He Lou (Yellow Crane Tower).

East Lake

Located in the east of Wuhan, Hubei Province, the East Lake in Wuhan University is the largest city lake in China which covers an area of 33 square kilometers. It is built in the ancient style of the Chu state, as Hubei Province is the birth place of Chu culture. The famous scenic spots include Xingyin Pavilion, Lisao Stele, Chu Heaven Platform and Chu Talent Park, Quyuan Statue and Quyuan Memorial.

Due to its winding banks and crisscrossing ponds, the East Lake is also called "a lake with 99 bays". Along the bank, the major scenic spots include the Mo Hill (Millstone Hill), Luoyan (Diving Wild Goose), Chuidi (Playing Flutes), Tingtao (Listening to Surging Waves), Baima (White Horse) and Luohong Hills (Luojia Hills and Hong Hills).

Besides the charming scenery, the East Lake also boasts incredible recreational facilities such as the ropeway, yachts, tandem bikes and play ground for children.

Transportation: take bus No. 14, 578, 701 or 777 and get off at East Lake stop.

If your time in Wuhan is quite limited, two things at least you should not miss: braised duck neck and Hongshan Caitai.

Jingwu Duck Neck

One of the most famous shops selling duck neck is Jingwu Duck Neck (jÄ«ng wÇ" yā bó 精武鸭脖). Today the stores pop up all around China. It uses the secret recipe handed down from generation to generation and the modern technique to make it special with lingering aftertaste. Visitors can go to Jingwu Road in Wuhan to buy duck neck.

Hongshan Caitai

Another delicacy recommended to visitors is Hongshan Caitai. It is a kind of vegetable which looks like oil seed rape but its color is purple. As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220), it has been a very common vegetable for common people. For centuries, it is the tribute in Hubei Province to the emperors, which enjoyed the equal fame with Wuchang Fish. Due to its well-balanced nutrition and is perfect in color, aroma, shape and taste, it is the necessary sumptuous food for Chinese New Year consumption. Many restaurants and hotels in Wuhan offers this dish made in various ways.