2h by high-speed rail! Lazy and relaxed city tour, enjoy beautiful scenery and delicious food with low expenses!

Tired of crowded tourist spots? Want to truly "live in" the local atmosphere of a city? These 6 hidden gem small cities (yes, still these!) remain conveniently accessible by high-speed rail, with friendly low costs**, but the way to play has been upgraded! Let you stroll, daydream, and fully enjoy like a local, touching the city's most authentic pulse in the laziest way. Deep experience, no pressure on your wallet! Core upgrades: 🚄 High-speed rail direct access remains: arrive right at the station, worry-free basics. 💰 Low cost unchanged: food, accommodation, and transport remain affordable, experience upgraded without price increase. 🐌 Slow to the core: refuse rushing, focus on the "joy of doing nothing." 🎭 Full immersive experience: dive into local life, experience intangible cultural heritage, blend into local scenes. 🍜 More than snacks: discover more authentic "home-style flavors" and "community old shops." 📍 1. Jiangsu · Yangzhou (Keywords: bathhouse, old alleys, Huaiyang home cooking) High-speed rail convenience remains: Shanghai/Nanjing 1-1.5h, Hangzhou 2h. Immersive play: Deep "Shuibaopi" experience: find an authentic old bathhouse (like Yongning Spring, Yangzhou Scrubbing Hall), experience intangible cultural heritage-level scrubbing and foot care (don’t be shy, this is the soul of Yangzhou!), soak slowly until fully relaxed. Venture into old alleys: avoid the main street of Dongguan Street, turn into small alleys like Renfengli, Dingjiawan, watch old residents sunning quilts and playing chess, feel the original slow life. Have a home-style Huaiyang meal: skip the trendy restaurants, find community spots like Fuxing Restaurant (Chou Dayuan) or Damao Home Cooking, order Lion’s Head meatballs, boiled dried tofu threads, stir-fried soft tofu, about 50 RMB per person for authentic flavors. Cost reference: bathhouse package 80-150 RMB, home-style restaurant 40-60 RMB per person, accommodation as mentioned before. Deep experience around 400-600 RMB per person is comfortable. Soul essence: take "bathing" seriously! Getting lost in old alleys is fun, eat where locals eat. 📍 2. Zhejiang · Shaoxing (Keywords: black-awning boat slow ride, yellow wine tasting, community bookstore) High-speed rail convenience remains: Hangzhou 20min! Shanghai 1.5h. Immersive play: Slow ride on black-awning boat: avoid the crowded Cangqiao Straight Street, go to Baziqiao or Xixiaolu area, charter a boat (a bit pricey but worth it), let the boatman slowly row, watch the real water town life on both banks, quiet and photogenic. Slightly tipsy yellow wine tour: visit the exhibition centers of Guyuelongshan/Huijishan** or Xianheng Hotel, order a yellow wine tasting set (tens of RMB), learn about flavors of different vintages, paired with fennel beans. Daydream in community bookstores: Wild Bookstore or Half City Bookstore, pick a book about Shaoxing, nestle in a corner, outside the window is a small bridge and flowing water. Cost reference: boat charter about 100-150 RMB/boat (can share), yellow wine tasting 30-50 RMB/set, bookstore spending is flexible. Upgraded experience still comfortable at 300-500 RMB per person. Soul essence: sit slow on the boat, savor the wine, feel the cultural pulse of the water town in the bookstore. Stay away from the crowds at Lu Xun’s hometown. 📍 3. Anhui · Wuhu (Keywords: riverside sunset tea house, old brand snacks, riverside stroll) High-speed rail convenience remains: Nanjing 30min! Hefei 40min, Shanghai 3h. Immersive play: Riverside park "sunset tea house": in the evening find an outdoor tea house in Riverside Park (affordable), order a cup of green tea or red bean fermented rice wine, face the Yangtze River and Wuhu Yangtze River Bridge, wait for a grand sunset, watch boats come and go, completely relax. Check in at "old brand" not "trendy": go to Geng Fuxing for shrimp roe noodles and soup dumplings, try old-style pastries at Sijichun, feel the taste of heritage. Night stroll along the riverside: when lights come on, slowly walk along the riverside path, feel the river breeze, listen to locals singing and dancing, blend into the evening leisure life. Cost reference: tea house 20-30 RMB per person, old brand meals 40-70 RMB per person, accommodation as above. Riverside leisure around 250-400 RMB per person is great value. Soul essence: make "watching the Yangtze River" the main itinerary! Eat nostalgia in old brand shops, riverside night stroll is a local favorite. 📍 4. Jiangxi · Jingdezhen (Keywords: pottery experience, Sanbao Village stroll, Taoxichuan night atmosphere) High-speed rail convenience remains: Nanchang 2.5h, Hangzhou 3h, Shanghai 4h. Immersive play: Get your hands dirty: at sculpture porcelain factories or studios in Sanbao Village, sign up for a 1-2 hour pottery experience class (wheel throwing/painting, about 80-150 RMB), make a unique cup or bowl yourself, endless fun! Slow walk and look in Sanbao Village: no need to enter paid art museums, stroll along Sanbao Road, see streams, old houses, walls embedded with porcelain pieces, studios and cafes by the roadside are full of charm, wander freely. Taoxichuan "night tour" without shopping: go to Taoxichuan at night, focus not on buying but on feeling the lighting, architecture, creative market atmosphere, sit in the square listening to street performers sing. Cost reference: pottery experience 80-150 RMB, Sanbao stroll free, Taoxichuan atmosphere free. Hands-on experience around 350-550 RMB per person is more memorable. Soul essence: making your own porcelain is a unique souvenir! Feel the artistic rural vibe in Sanbao, Taoxichuan’s night is all about atmosphere. 📍 5. Guangxi · Liuzhou (Keywords: local Luosifen, Riverside Park, water bus) High-speed rail convenience remains: Guilin 1h, Nanning 1.5h, Guangzhou 3.5-4h. Immersive play: Find "community noodle shops": avoid tourist-packed trendy shops, ask taxi drivers or search maps for noodle shops near residential areas (like Alan Luosifen, Caomei Luosifen), the taste is often more authentic, atmosphere more local. Riverside Park "elderly disco": visit Riverside Park during day or night, enjoy Liuzhou River views, if lucky see local uncles and aunties dancing plaza dance or singing mountain songs, feel the happy life of Liuzhou people. Experience "water bus": spend 3 RMB for a ride on Liuzhou River water bus, see the city and river views from a different angle, slow and healing. Cost reference: community noodle shops 10-15 RMB per person, water bus 3 RMB, accommodation as above. Authentic experience around 300-450 RMB per person is very worthwhile! Soul essence: eat noodles deep in the community! Watching locals dance and sing is a free folk show, water bus is the best cost-effective river tour. 📍 6. Hunan · Changsha (Keywords: community night market, Xiang River night breeze, old street cafes) High-speed rail convenience remains: Wuhan 1.5h, Guangzhou 2.5h, Shenzhen 3h, many trains! Immersive play: Explore "community night markets": avoid the crowded Wuyi Square, visit Sifangping Night Market or Desiqin Night Market (a bit farther but worth it), large scale, full variety, many locals, experience a more vibrant Changsha atmosphere. Feel the breeze and waves by Xiang River: at night find a spot near Du Fu Jiang Pavilion or Sail Plaza, sit and enjoy the Xiang River breeze, watch the lights of Orange Isle and the night skyline across the river, listen to the water lapping, free and pleasant. Find cafes in old alleys: in old buildings on Chaozong Street or Baiguoyuan Lane, find a distinctive cafe (like Luguang Cafe, No Target), daydream, read, observe the new and old of the old street. Cost reference: community night market 30-50 RMB per person for a feast, cafes 30-50 RMB per cup, riverside free. Avoid crowds, 400-600 RMB per person is more comfortable. (Accommodation is the main variable) Soul essence: night markets must be where locals gather! The breeze by Xiang River is Changsha’s breath, feel the blend of old and new in old street cafes. "Slow Soul" travel rules: 1. Choose accommodation with "atmosphere": prioritize unique, conveniently located (near old streets/river) hostels, design B&Bs, or hotels converted from old houses, they are part of the experience. 2. Only set 1-2 "themes" per day: for example, in Yangzhou focus on "bathing + alley wandering," in Jingdezhen "pottery making + Sanbao stroll," don’t overdo it. 3. Follow your feelings: enter interesting small shops, queue when you smell good food, sit down for a drink when tired. 4. Make good use of public transport/walking: the core of slow travel is observation, buses/walking let you see more real life scenes. 5. Chat with locals: snack shop owners, tea house waiters, grandpas in the park, all may give you unexpected surprises. 6. Put down your phone (except when taking photos): sincerely feel the atmosphere, sounds, and tastes of the moment. ✨ Open the Trip.com travel app, search for "high-speed rail tickets" and "unique B&Bs/hotels," lock in your "slow soul" destination. This trip, no rushing, just feeling!