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?"** ❤️ **Like and save** this post, so you can find it next time you don’t know where to go! 📷 **Follow me** for more hidden travel gems~