In praise of slower pleasures

Eschewing planes and trains, some travelers are using buses to make the journey to their destination, Wang Qian reports.

In an era dominated by high-speed trains and budget flights, a growing number of young travelers are redefining exploration by opting for slow, immersive journeys via public bus. The trend, driven by a desire for deeper cultural engagement and cost-effective travel, is reshaping how some among the younger generation experience the country's vast landscapes and diverse communities.

Most people would take a three to four-hour flight or the high-speed train to travel from Beijing to Hong Kong, but 22-year-old Shen Tie, a journalism student and self-proclaimed bus enthusiast, instead opted to take 120 buses, stopping at more than 3,100 stations on his winding 13-day journey along the public transit network in December, at a cost of 2,800 yuan ($389).

Shen's fascination with buses began in kindergarten, when he would beg his parents to ride loops around his hometown of Jinzhou in Liaoning province instead of napping. "It's a niche hobby," he says, contrasting it with mainstream pastimes like sports or binge-watching dramas.