China 101
High-speed rail
高铁
China's high-speed rail network, the largest in the world by a wide margin, running trains at up to 350 km/h between nearly every major city.
China's high-speed rail network is one of the country's signature infrastructure achievements. Built largely between 2008 and the early 2020s, it spans more than 40,000 kilometers, longer than the rest of the world's high-speed lines combined, and connects essentially every city of consequence.
Trains branded Hexie (Harmony) and Fuxing (Rejuvenation) cruise at 300 to 350 km/h on the busiest corridors. Beijing to Shanghai, about 1,300 kilometers, takes roughly four and a half hours city center to city center, which is why rail often beats flying on such routes. Stations are usually enormous, security checks are standard, and tickets are bought by real-name registration, typically through the 12306 app.
For foreign travelers the system is famously foreigner-friendly compared with older Chinese rail: bilingual signage is common and passport holders can book directly. Domestically, high-speed rail reshaped ideas of distance and made weekend cross-province trips routine.