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A British couple arrive in Hefei, a modern science city few international tourists visit, after a two-hour high-speed train from Wuhan. They take an economy taxi instead of a 42-minute metro trip, check into a high-tech hotel near Swan Lake, and shelter from a rainy-season downpour while explaining Hefei's EAST fusion reactor, known as the artificial sun. They see the Grand Theatre and a TV headquarters building covered in seal script, relax in a garden café and plan trains to Xi'an. In the evening they ride the QR-code metro to a busy pedestrian street, try lychee white beer and a cookie shop, watch aunties dancing and eat noodles and cumin beef skewers in a restaurant with no QR menu. Reanne leaves her phone behind and it comes straight back. The Swan Lake skyline is not lit up that night. The next morning they visit Hefei 1972, a steam engine factory from 1972 that became a prison and is now a cultural park.
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The train from Wuhan takes only about two hours, and Reanne and Ben spend it in middle seats in different cars. They like high-speed trains because they can get work done on board. This is what they call their 23rd province, and they describe Hefei as very scientific, innovative and modern. At the station they first walk to the wrong gates, which turn out to be for transfers, and remind each other that the exit is down, not up.
Taxi from the station and a high-tech hotel
The metro to their hotel would mean two lines, some walking and 42 minutes. A taxi takes 13, so they book an economy car. Ben points out that the city has almost 10 million people and is one of China's most technologically advanced, yet many westerners have never heard of it.
The hotel is on the 12th floor of building B in a big tower that also holds offices and apartments. Most signs are in Chinese only, so they translate them to find the right lift. A delivery robot rides up with them. The room opens with a door code and facial recognition, and it has a fridge, a kettle, a smart toilet and a projector. They picked it for the location in the CBD, close to Swan Lake.
Rainy season and the artificial sun
A heavy downpour keeps them under shelter. Ben uses the wait to read about EAST, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, which is China's fusion reactor and is nicknamed the artificial sun. He also reads about the steady high magnetic field laboratory, which generates a 45.22 tesla steady field, a world record, used to study materials, superconductors, batteries, semiconductors and quantum physics.
Swan Lake, the Grand Theatre and a garden café
Near the hotel stands the Grand Theatre, a big round dome that lights up at night, and the wide roads give them New York vibes. Followers had recommended Swan Lake for its night lights. By day they see lily pads and a landmark TV headquarters building covered in ancient seal script, around 245 to 300 m tall and built in 2013.
A green, tropical-style coffee shop seven minutes from the hotel charges 26 for two hot Americanos. They add pineapple buns, though the coffee arrives a little cold. Duck is said to be popular in the city. Over coffee they talk about the pressure of work messages and brand deals, and say they will only work with companies they find relatable. Then they plan the next leg. The train to Xi'an takes five and a half hours, with second class about 60 pounds each, first class £106 and business 213. A flight is about £100 and takes an hour and 15 minutes. A TikTok has told them to see the Terracotta Warriors late in the day, not early. They also book a hotel in Changsha that they loved two years ago.
Hefei pedestrian street food after dark
The metro, opened in December 2016, needs no ticket, only a QR code on the phone. One station even has stalls selling fruit, vegetables, sausages and dried goods. Ben posts Douyin videos in each new city and gets flooded with local suggestions, including a comment that people call the place boring because it is not touristy.
At 7:00 on a Wednesday night the street is already busy. Police stand by with flashing lights, scooters are kept out and a ferris wheel turns nearby. The couple like the mix of old-style and new buildings. They stop to see some kittens, then buy lychee white beer for a couple of pounds, poured into a 500 ml cup. At a cookie shop you can try before you buy, and each cookie costs about 1.69. Rental scooters and e-bikes are parked everywhere.
On a food street nearby, aunties dance in sync while vendors sell jianbing and Xi'an noodles. The couple eat at a noodle place with no QR codes, ordering by pointing. Noodles cost 20 each, and drinks and cutlery sit in a self-service corner. Warm, flaky spring onion bread arrives with beef skewers dusted in cumin on long metal sticks. Talk turns to their new apartment in Guangzhou, and they say China is the only place they would travel alone.
The phone that came back
As they leave, Ben's phone is at 8 percent and Reanne realizes hers is missing. It is brought straight back to them. A fast, swerving taxi ride then takes them to Swan Lake. At around half past nine the towers are dark, and they guess the lights may only run at weekends, while lightning flashes in the distance.
Hefei 1972, from prison to culture park
The next morning they visit Hefei 1972. The site opened as a steam engine factory in 1972, served as a prison until 2018 and is now a creative cultural park, said to be the only former prison in China turned into one. Original buildings remain, including an iconic round building, and there are photo spots against the skyline. It is very hot, and around midday they leave on a train of about 6 hours to their 24th province.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: How do you get from Hefei high-speed rail station to the city center?
- A: There is a metro, but for their hotel near Swan Lake it meant two lines, some walking and 42 minutes. A taxi took only 13 minutes, so they booked an economy taxi.
- Q: Do you need a ticket for the Hefei metro?
- A: No. You open the metro QR code on your phone and scan it at the gate. The metro was built in December 2016.
- Q: Where is a good area to stay in Hefei?
- A: They stayed in the CBD near Swan Lake, about five minutes' walk from the lake and right by the Grand Theatre, so the main night views were close.
- Q: Are the Swan Lake buildings in Hefei lit up every night?
- A: Not when they went. At around half past nine on a Wednesday night the buildings were dark, and they guessed the light show may be a weekend thing.
- Q: What is Hefei 1972?
- A: It is the site of a steam engine factory that opened in 1972, was later used as a prison until 2018, and is now a creative cultural park popular for photos.
- Q: What science projects is Hefei known for?
- A: The city is home to EAST, China's experimental fusion reactor known as the artificial sun, and a laboratory that generates a 45.22 tesla steady magnetic field, a world record.
- Q: What street food can you eat in Hefei at night?
- A: Duck is said to be popular. On a food street they found jianbing and Xi'an noodle stalls, and they ate noodles for 20 a bowl, spring onion flatbread and cumin beef skewers. Earlier they had lychee beer and cookies on the walking street.
- Q: How long is the train from Hefei to Xi'an and how much does it cost?
- A: It takes five and a half hours. Second class was about 60 pounds each, first class £106 and business 213. A flight was about £100 and took an hour and 15 minutes.
- Q: What happens if you leave your phone in a restaurant in China?
- A: Reanne left her phone behind after dinner and it was brought straight back to them, which they said is why they love the country.
- Q: How much does coffee cost in Hefei?
- A: At a green garden-style coffee shop seven minutes' walk from their hotel, two hot Americanos cost 26 in total.
