4 Underrated Small Towns That Will Make You Cry! High-Speed Rail Direct Access

“99% of people haven’t heard of these cities, but once you visit, you’ll want to stay!” 🚄 Yixing, Xinchang, Chongzuo, Xuancheng—direct high-speed rail access, affordable prices, perfect for those wanting to avoid crowds and enjoy a slow-paced 3-day trip!

🚄 Transportation Guide
- Yixing: 30 minutes from Hangzhou East (frequent trains)
- Xinchang: 2 hours from Shanghai Hongqiao (easy transfer at Shaoxing North)
- Chongzuo: 1 hour from Nanning Station (closest high-speed rail station to the cross-border waterfall)
- Xuancheng: 1.5 hours from Nanjing South (Jingting Mountain from Li Bai’s poetry)

🏡 Amazing accommodations averaging 150+ per person
▫️ Yixing: Tea field homestay beside Bamboo Sea (windows open to thousands of acres of bamboo forest)
▫️ Xinchang: Glass house at the foot of Chuanyan Nineteen Peaks (starry sky bathtub)
▫️ Chongzuo: Mingshi Tianyuan Zhuang stilt house (includes Zhuang ethnic costume experience)
▫️ Xuancheng: Ming and Qing dynasty old house in Chaji Ancient Town (super vintage carved bed)

📝 3-Day Slow Life Guide for the Four Cities
1️⃣ Yixing:
✅ Must-visit: Bamboo Sea Scenic Area (take the cable car to see the emerald ocean), Shushan Ancient South (make your own purple clay teapot)
✅ Hidden gem: Dingshan Ceramic Market for flawed pieces (5 yuan for beautiful finds)
✅ Local delicacies: Black rice (plant-dyed), salted meat stewed bamboo shoots

2️⃣ Xinchang: Martial arts film shooting locations tour
✅ Exclusive experience: Hiking the Tang Poetry Road on Tianmu Mountain (same route as Li Bai)
✅ Carb bombs: Stir-fried rice cakes (with crispy edges), taro dumplings (super chewy skin)

3️⃣ Chongzuo: Secret spot on the China-Vietnam border
✅ Detian Waterfall: Bamboo raft ride to touch the cross-border waterfall (peak water flow in summer)
✅ Mingshi Tianyuan: Cycling through rice fields (bike rental 20 yuan/day)
✅ Night firefly watching: Heishui River Wetland (June to August only)

4️⃣ Xuancheng, Anhui: Ancient poetry brought to life
✅ Chaji Ancient Town: Ming and Qing architecture with 10 times fewer people than Hongcun
✅ Jingting Mountain: "Looking at each other without getting tired"—check in at Li Bai’s favorite viewpoint
✅ Xuanzhi Cultural Park: Experience paper making (take your finished product home)

🍜 Must-try local foods
✔️ Yixing: Steamed chicken in a purple clay pot, Heqiao dried tofu
✔️ Xinchang: Wok-fried spring rolls (super thin), soup dumplings (actually wontons)
✔️ Chongzuo: Dustpan feast (five-colored glutinous rice), sour porridge fish
✔️ Xuancheng: Shuiyang three treasures (duck foot buns), Jixi tart cakes

💡 Insider tips from experienced travelers
⚠️ Yixing/Xinchang are rainy, always carry an umbrella
⚠️ Chongzuo requires a border pass (apply in advance in Nanning)
⚠️ Xuancheng’s Chaji Ancient Town has cobblestone streets—dragging suitcases is a nightmare

“At dusk in Mingshi Tianyuan, watching the karst peaks reflected in the rice fields, I suddenly understood what a 'landscape painting' really means. 🖼️

👇 Interaction time
💬 **"What other underrated but stunning small towns do you know?"**
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