Location: Beijing
Travel note summary: One of the Four Vertical and Four Horizontal High-Speed Rail Lines: Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail. After enduring the洗礼 of the morning rush hour crowds on the Beijing subway this morning, I finally made it to Beijing South Station after much hardship. Since it seems Taiwan Compatriot Permits can't be used to buy tickets online in advance (Note: Later, Senior Xianlong said it was possible), I had to buy my ticket on-site. I originally wanted to buy a second-class seat, but when it was my turn, I asked if there were any tickets left for the 10:00 train. The attendant said only first-class seats were available; the next train with second-class seats would be two hours later. After a brief thought, I finally took out my UnionPay card. Well, indeed, time is money, so I bought a first-class seat (933 RMB). The difference with first-class is that the seats are larger and more comfortable (only four seats per row), and there are attendants who provide some snacks and drinks. Other than that, there's not much difference. Departing from Beijing at 10:00, passing through Jinan and Nanjing, and finally arriving in Shanghai at 14:50 in the afternoon—a t…
