5 Beautiful and Off-the-Beaten-Path Cities Just 2 Hours Away by High-Speed Rail
📍Wenzhou
- Attractions: Must-visit spots include Yandang Mountain, Liu Bowen's Hometown Scenic Area (Baizhang Waterfall), and Nanxi River Scenic Area. For family trips, visit Wenzhou Polar Ocean World and Wenzhou Paradise. Free attractions include Wuma Street, Wenzhou Museum, and Impression Nantang.
- Food: Try local seafood at Yizhan Fang Seafood Restaurant and Su-Zhe cuisine at Der Le Hotel. Local snacks include fish wontons at Chang Ren Wonton Shop, pork intestine rice noodles at Shou Ying's, and lamp-bowl cake at Biantou.
- Accommodation: Luxury options include Wenzhou Kaiyuan Mandu Hotel and The Westin Wenzhou. For family-friendly stays, consider Wenzhou Golden Coast Kaiyuan Mandu Resort Hotel.
📍Qingyuan
- Attractions: Must-visit spots include Lianzhou Underground River, Thousand-Year Yao Village, and Chimelong Qingyuan Resort. For families, visit Aoyuan Yingde Chocolate Kingdom Resort. Free attractions include Bijia Mountain Tourist Resort, Qingquan Bay Eco-Tourism Resort, and North River Little Three Gorges.
- Food: Try Cantonese dim sum at Dian Tian Xia Tea House, Cantonese cuisine at Meilin Lake Hot Spring Hotel's Gu Zhen Restaurant, and farm-style dishes at Pinwei Garden Restaurant.
- Accommodation: For luxury stays, choose New World Qingyuan Hotel. Family-friendly options include Xilegu Hot Spring Resort Hotel. For scenic views, stay at Baojinggong Swan Lake Hot Spring Hotel.
📍Benxi
- Attractions: Must-visit spots include Benxi Water Cave, Guanmen Mountain National Forest Park, and Benxi Grand Canyon. For families, visit Xiaoshi Yizhuang. Free attractions include Wangxi Park, Maple Square, and Benxi Lake Park.
- Food: Try northeastern cuisine at Small Pot Rice Tofu Restaurant, northeastern barbecue at Nanbo Wan BBQ, and grilled dishes at 0414 String Bar.
- Accommodation: High-end options include Benxi Yaxi Duo Select Hotel and Benxi Guanting Holiday Hotel. Comfortable choices include Benxi Hailian Hotel and Benxi Mingshiyu Scenic Boutique Hotel.
📍Dandong
- Attractions: Must-visit spots include Dandong Phoenix Mountain, Yalu River Broken Bridge, and Tiger Mountain Great Wall. For spring outings and flower viewing, visit Dandong Tianqiao Valley Scenic Area, Lvjiang Village, and Yalu River Park. Free attractions include Yalu River Park, Korean War Memorial Hall, and Jinjiang Mountain Park.
- Food: Try Korean bibimbap at Quanzhou Bibimbap Restaurant, charcoal-grilled seafood at Taibai Seafood BBQ, and charcoal-grilled meat at Lao Ji BBQ Restaurant.
- Accommodation: Luxury options include Dandong Pearl Hotel and Wanda Vista Dandong. For scenic views, choose Dandong Zhonglian Hotel or Dandong Pearl Island Riverside Hotel. For hot springs, stay at Dandong New Edo Hot Spring City Hotel or Dandong Yitang Hot Spring Hotel.
📍Datong
- Attractions: Must-visit spots include Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Temple, and Datong Ancient City. For families, visit Datong Fantawild Adventure. Free attractions include Nine Dragon Screen, Datong Museum, and Shanhua Temple.
- Food: Try Jin cuisine at Fenglin Pavilion, northwestern Shanxi dishes at Zini 369 Coarse Grain Restaurant, and deep-fried pork at Laoyemiao Flavor Restaurant.
- Accommodation: Luxury options include Datong Yungang Hotel and Howard Johnson Datong. For boutique guesthouses, try Datong Yunzhong Inn or Beiwei Yunqi.