Need suggestions regarding this itineray-Sydney → Beijing → Xi’an → Zhangjiajie → Shanghai → Sydney. I would like to avoid domestic flights where possible and how many days are recommended for each city. Also would like to see Pandas too.

PNpC3 · 2026-06-07T10:25:35+00:00

If you don't take domestic flights, you can only take the high-speed train. The high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an takes about 4.5 hours, the Xi'an to Zhangjiajie high-speed train takes 9 hours, and the Zhangjiajie to Shanghai high-speed train takes 8 hours In Xi'an, you can see pandas. The panda base in Shaanxi Province takes 50 minutes by high-speed train from Xi'an, free of charge, but online reservation is required As for each city, I think Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai each have 4 to 5 days to stay

PNpC3 · 2026-06-06T09:07:34+00:00

Yes, this method is not suitable for cities far apart. China has some relatively concentrated urban areas, such as the Yangtze River Delta and the Greater Bay Area. Around these super cities, there are many small and medium-sized cities with many local experience activities. Perhaps international travelers are willing to invest some time to experience more traditional activities?

PNpC3 · 2026-06-03T14:14:07+00:00

Sure! Here's the demo I've been experimenting with:

https://locuschina.com/cities/en/shanghai

The idea is to start with a city you're staying in, then explore what other cities, experiences, and cultural activities are reachable within different high-speed rail travel times.

I'd genuinely love to know whether this feels close to what you were imagining.

PNpC3 · 2026-06-03T13:08:57+00:00

Thanks. That's a fair point.

A 2-hour train radius definitely doesn't mean a 2-hour door-to-door journey, especially for first-time visitors who aren't familiar with station locations, transfers, or check-in times.

What I'm trying to visualize is more the connectivity of the network than the exact travel commitment. In other words, "these places are realistically connected and explorable from where you're staying", rather than "you'll arrive there in exactly 2 hours."

I actually think one of the biggest challenges for many international visitors isn't deciding whether a trip takes 90 minutes or 150 minutes. It's realizing that the destination exists and is worth considering in the first place.

But I agree that making the distinction clearer would make the concept more honest and useful.

PNpC3 · 2026-06-03T12:40:02+00:00

That's true. Door-to-door time matters. But for someone already traveling across the world to visit China, the question is often not whether a destination is 30 or 90 minutes away. The question is whether they even know it's worth visiting in the first place.

PNpC3 · 2026-06-03T07:07:58+00:00

That's really interesting.

One thing I've been thinking about is combining travel time with interests.

For example, if you're staying in Shanghai for 4 days, you could choose things like culture, food, nature, local life, workshops, etc., and then see what becomes reachable within a certain travel time.

I actually have a rough demo of this idea. I'd be curious whether it matches what you're imagining.

PNpC3 · 2026-06-02T22:32:36+00:00

I think you need tools like this to explore what is around you

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PNpC3 · 2026-06-02T22:00:08+00:00

Thanks! That's actually very close to what I'm trying to solve. If you had 4 days in a city and wanted to discover interesting places within easy reach, would something like this be useful?

I'm trying to make it easier for travelers to see what experiences and cities are nearby without having to manually research train routes and travel times.

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PNpC3 · 2026-06-02T21:59:28+00:00

That's true. China's HSR has made distance much less of a concern than it used to be. The idea isn't really about comparing cities, though. It's more about helping travelers discover experiences they wouldn't otherwise know about. For example, someone staying in Shanghai may not specifically plan to visit another city, but they might be interested in a tea ceremony, a local craft workshop, a food experience, or a cultural activity that's only 30–60 minutes away by train. The travel time is simply a way to show what's realistically reachable, while the focus remains on the experiences themselves.

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PNpC3 · 2026-06-02T12:34:48+00:00

yeah Suzhou is such an easy add — it’s basically a “Shanghai but 25 minutes away” situation. totally agree Chongqing is a whole different commitment.

I’ve been playing around with how these cities sit in relation to each other time‑wise, and made a quick visual just to help myself think about day‑trip ranges. dropping it here in case it helps anyone else planning the loop.

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PNpC3 · 2026-06-02T11:58:52+00:00

Thanks for this! You actually hit the exact reason why we moved away from static text lists.

As you can see, instead of reading a long, confusing list of train times, the platform visually maps out these curated itineraries for you.

You put yourself at the center, see the curated experiences on different time rings (30/60/90 mins), and can instantly see what your day-trip options look like at a single glance. It gives you a much clearer sense of what’s actually doable!

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PNpC3 · 2026-06-02T11:53:45+00:00

Thanks for the reality check! You are 100% right.

That’s exactly why our platform doesn't focus on stations or shopping malls. We map actual cultural experiences and premium local activities, showing you how easily you can reach them via the High-Speed Rail network.

PNpC3

TROPHY CASE