The Wandelgek rose from his bed at 5 AM, quickly showered and did some last packing, before having breakfast at the restaurant.

At about 6 AM, the sun rose from its bed too. Tao was present and we looked at the sunrise after which we took our backpacks and started walking down hill to the taxi stand. The views were quite mesmerizing so early, but there was not much time for photographing. It was still a long way back to Guilin…

At the taxi stand we waited a bit for our driver to arrive …

…, but this didn’t take too long and we were now driving to the shop where I had left my large backpack. After paying the fee, we went to the parking lot, where I quickly started repacking my backpacks, meaning emptying the small day backpack and stuffing everything in the large backpack. This would make it easier to travel by train and plane later today.

Then we drove to the GuilinXi railway station (which is the Guilin West railway station) of Guilin (not the central railway station where I had arrived a week earlier). I was now going to travel east again toward Guangzhou (Canton), the capital of the Guangdong province, where the airport was.

After a long drive descending from the hills toward the Li river, we arrived in Guilin …

In China you see in towns a lot of high appartment buildings. Just an observation: You have those in Europe too, but it seems there are more in China’s towns.

Then we arrived at the railway station and I did not need to hurry. First I said goodbye to my again excellent travel guide Tao and the driver. She was pleased going home now to her family too.

Then I went through passport control and luggage control and this time without any troubles. In the large hall I waited for my train to arrive and checked in at the correct gate having become an experienced train traveller by now.

Next I boarded my train. If you want to know more about the practicalities of train travel in China than read my previous blogposts on this topic at:

4. China by train: Practical tips how to take a train in China and Travelling by train from Shanghai to Huangshan City/Anhui

and

13. China by train: By train from Huangshan City, via Changsha to Zhangjiajie

and finally:

24. China by train: By train from Zhangjiajie to Guilin/Guangxi

 

After the train left the station, it drove for the first few hours through the karst hills around the Li river area …

This landscape is simply breathtaking and a train provides awesome views to absorb …

Then the train slowly leaves the hills behind …

The Wandelgek had brought some snacks he had bought a week ago in Guilin, like e.g. these sweets with a variety of fruit flavors …

A much flatter landscape is entered as the train heads further east into the Pearl River Delta plain and toward Guangzhou near the South China Sea …

I saw lots of flooded rice paddies in the Pearl River delta plains. After Guilin’s dramatic karst hills flatten into the Guangdong plains (post-Yangshuo area), the route crosses the lowlands of northern Guangdong and Guangxi’s border regions. These vast, mirror-like expanses are wet rice fields, seasonally inundated with shallow water (10–20 cm deep) to grow early rice varieties like indica.

• Irrigation for double/triple cropping: Rice thrives in standing water; fields are flooded post-planting (April–June here) and drained before harvest. Fish are often co-cultured in paddies for weeds/pest control and extra income.
•  Flood control and soil fertility: Traditional polder systems with dikes manage monsoon floods, retaining water for irrigation while preventing crop loss. Silt from floods naturally fertilizes the soil.

Recent heavy rains (e.g., 2024 Guilin floods) can exaggerate flooding, blending natural paddies with temporary inundation. This subtropical plain supports China’s rice bowl, producing millions of tons annually.

Next near Guangzhou, the train was crossing several Pearl River tributaries and branches …

… before entering Guangzhou. Guangzhou is one of the major cities in the Pearl River Delta economic zone, together with Shenzen and Hong Kong.

On the tracks there was much more cargo transport then more inland …

Guangzhou (Canton)

Guangzhou or Canton as westerners remember it, is the fifth most populous city by urban resident population in China after Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Chongqing.

Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road.

Guangzhou was visited by the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta during his journey around the world in the 14th century. He detailed the process by which the Chinese constructed their large ships in the port’s shipyards.

Conclusion on travelling China by Train

The Wandelgek left the train. He had now officially finished his journey through China by Train. His conclusions about that are that everyone should try this too. It’s easy, relaxing and above all: FAST! Without bullet trains, this journey would not have been possible by train within the time frame of 15 days. Now with this modern railway network almost everything is possible, reachable, payable and it’s sustainable too.

I do think however it is important for westerners travelling in China that the visum free time slot is kept. For me it was a decisive reason to travel to China again and will be in possible China travels.

Last but not least there are some points of critique as well. It has become clear to me that China has been turned into a surveillance state by the government. In lots of places are cameras and almost every move you make or check in whether in a hotel, train or a national park, or a cave or a theater show, requires you to show your passport or in case of locals your ID card. Your whereabouts are always known to the government. This does infringe a lot with the ideas of privacy we have in the West.

My stay in Guangzhou was purely a travel through, from railway station to international airport.

My last moments in China were getting shorter fast, before leaving to Taipei first and next going West again.

A cabdriver and guide picked me up from the Railway station and we drove to the airport.

In the main hall I checked whether the plane was delayed, but it was still on time.

This meant there was time for dinner and and I found a Chinese MacDonalds for my first fast food during this journey…

The plane left on time at ….

Weather had been very warm to hot during almost all of the past 15 days …

… and still weather was fantastic …

After touchdown The Wandelgek entered the transit area of the Taipei airport, and it seemed that popularity of “Hello Kitty” had burst through the roof …

At a small coffee corner The Wandelgek noticed a refrigerator containing very special specialty beers and without thinking he bought one to drink. But when he asked for an accompanying beerglass, he found out they only had paper cups, aaaarrggh.

The Baltic Stout by the Insel Brauerei, was actually quite good, but regretfully not from a paper cup. It is also not the type of beer you normally drink from a bottle. Sometimes shop owners really do not know what it takes to sell a good beer …

At a candy machine The Wandelgek tried to purchase some treats to bring into the plane, but the transportation spiral did not deliver. The product was almost falling down in the drawer from which to collect it, but it did not fall. I had no Taiwanese coins left to try again. He tried to wiggle the machine a bit but it didn’t work and was quite heavy too. Luckily a Taiwanese traveller saw what had happened and he offered a new coin to try again and I now did get the trophy. Very positive 1st experience with Taiwanese helpfulness.

After checking it turned out the plane to Amsterdam was delayed half an hour …

After boarding and after the plane had left the airport flying above Taipei by night now …,

… there was again quite a decent dinner to enjoy. I was quite pleased with the service of this airliner…

The flight home went well …,

…, near Ukraine the flight took a route above the southern shore of the Black Sea.

After long hours The Wandelgek arrived early in the morning at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport …

After custom control, collecting his luggage and changing back his larger Chinese banknotes to euros for the same exchange rate as he previously had changed euros into renmin, he took the train to his hometown of Deventer.

 

So where better than to end my China by Train travels trailing Paul Theroux, than at the sunny terrace of Midtown Bluesrock Café, drinking a large Weihenstephaner Weizenbeer, to celebrate my save arrival home …

The End / 結局