High-speed rail: Trains connect China

China had more than 16,000 kilometers of high-speed rail at the end of 2014, up from 11,000 at the end of 2013. [Photo by Zhou Jianping/for China Daily]

China's rapidly growing high-speed rail network is making it easier - and cheaper - for tourists to travel around the country.

With the growing popularity and development of high-speed rail in China, traveling around the country has become easier for tourists who want to spend less time on trains and more at their destinations.

According to Xinhua News Agency, China had more than 16,000 kilometers of high-speed rail at the end of 2014, up from 11,000 at the end of 2013. More than 100 million trips were made on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail last year, which made a profit for the first time since its launch in 2011.

"Tourists long for a satisfied vacation rather than traditional travel, with higher demands for tours. They want to relieve themselves from pressures by having a convenient tour by high-speed trains," says Ma Lan, assistant to the general manager of the tourism department of China International Travel Service Limited, Head Office.

"High-speed rail also boosts excursions on weekends. It's faster than driving, and tourists will have sufficient time to enjoy the destination."

Increasingly more travelers are choosing high-speed trains rather than flying because of the convenience, professional service and punctuality.

"It's more convenient to go to the train station than the airport in the suburbs. You don't have to go through the time-consuming security checks or worry that the plane will be late. Moreover, the views outside the train windows are very pretty," says Wang Yi, 24, a college graduate from Beijing.

Wang says the carriages are clean, and the second-class seats are more comfortable than those in the economy class on the plane, with more room to stretch out. You can also use your smartphone on the train, she adds.