According to China Railway Guangzhou Group Co., Ltd., the Meizhou-Shantou high-speed railway will come into operation on October 11th.

Meizhou West Railway Station (Source: Nanfang Plus)

21 cities in Guangdong Province will be linked by high-speed railway, after the launching of the Meizhou-Shantou route.

According to Nanfang Daily, the route includes 7 stations: Meizhou West, Shejiang North, Jianqiao, Fengshun East, Jieyang, Jieyang International Airport and Chaoshan.

Meizhou West Railway Station (Source: Nanfang Plus)

44 high-speed trains will run from Meizhou to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shantou, Zhuhai, Yichang and Xiamen every day: 12 to Guangzhou, 10 to Shenzhen, 8 to Chaoshan, and 2 trains each to Zhuhai, Xiamen and Yichang.

Journey times will be slashed to just 3 hours and 25 minutes from Meizhou to Guangzhou and 2 hours and 52 minutes to Shenzhen, said Nanfang Daily.

Pricing

There will be a maximum of 40% discount on ticket prices.

43 RMB (40% off a second-class seat) from Meizhou West to Chaoshan

235.5 RMB (25% off a second-class seat) from Meizhou West to Guangzhou South

161 RMB (25% off a second-class seat) from Meizhou West to Shenzhen North

The railway department will undertake different discount schemes, based on factors such as passenger flow and train schedule in the future, said Nanfang Daily.

The “capital of the Hakka”

Meizhou is a city in eastern Guangdong province, China. It has an area of over 15 thousand square kilometres, and comprises Meijiang District, Meixian District, Xingning City and five counties.

Hakka walled villages (Photo: He Jun, Zhu Kunwei)

Meizhou is regarded as the "capital of the Hakka". In this region, visitors can enjoy unique Hakka culture and delicacies, such as Hakka walled villages, traditional Hakka architecture, salt baked chicken and tofu stuffed with meat.

Yearning Tea Plantation

Location: Yanyang, Meixian District, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province

Yearning Tea Plantation, is the first National 5A-level sightseeing spot in the east of Guangdong Province, and is the birthplace of Marshal Ye Jianying (a well-known Chinese general). It’s home to over 2000 tea plants and 14 villas. The plantation is well equipped to deal with tourists and you will find Weilong Hotel, Weilong Restaurant, Food Court, Tea Art House, Xiancha Pavilion, swimming pools and tennis courts. The Weilong Hotel was awarded the Luban Prize (a national construction engineering prize) by the Ministry of Construction of China in 2005. The attraction is a great combination of modernity, Hakka culture and tea culture. If you’re looking for a place of natural beauty, this would be a good option for a break away.

Lingguang Temple

Location: Yinna Village, Yanyang, Meixian County, Miejiang District, Guangdong Province

About: Lingguang Temple was first built in A.D. 861 in the Tang Dynasty. It is a provincial level protected cultural relic. In the center of the roof in Daxiong Bao Hall, there is an an architectural curiosity – a spiral shaped caisson. In front of the temple stand two stately old cypresses. One is dead, while the other is alive. The latter one is flourishing in dark green and the dead one still stands like a soldier. The stark contrast awes many tourists.

Pingshan Mountain Terrace

Location: Pingshan, Dadong, Dabu County, Guangdong Province

About: This terrace of over 60 thousand square meters in Dadong, Dabu County can be traced back to the end of Yuan Dynasty (1271 A.D. –1368 A.D.). The spring sprouts standing like golden chains; the green waves rolling across the mountain in summer; the autumn harvest turning the mountain into a golden treasure box and the winter bringing a beautiful sleeping mountain. There is something to see throughout all the seasons.

Authors: Steven Yuen, Mandy Huang (intern)

Editor: Simon Haywood