Shanghai to Guangzhou High speed train

A total of 32 new high-speed routes will be launched December 10, Shanghai's railway authority announced. The trip between Shanghai and Guangzhou, Guangdong province has been shaved down from 16 hours to six hours and 51 minutes, and travelers looking to go from Shanghai to scenic Guilin, Guangxi province will now be able to make the trip in about nine hours, versus the previous 19 hours.

The new routes will depart from Shanghai's Hongqiao Railway Station. The railway authority also announced that fast trains to Harbin, Shenzhen and Lhasa will be upgraded to direct trains starting December 10 as well. Celebrate!

Update: While train ticket prices aren't yet available through online purchasing sites at the time of writing, web reports say that business-class tickets from Guangzhou to Shanghai will cost about 2, 500 RMB, while first-class and second-class tickets will cost around 1, 300 RMB and 800 RMB, respectively.