From Wuhan to Chongqing, Chengdu to Hangzhou, second tier cities are emerging as hubs for both international and domestic executives.

BBC: The rise of China��s secondary cities

On a final note, train attendants grabbed microphones to stage their own gala for passengers travelling from Wuhan to Shiyan in central Hubei province on New Year's Eve.

BBC: China media: New Year haze

Last year, a self-driving car developed by China's National University of Defense Technology traveled 177 miles from Changsha to Wuhan.

WSJ: Crovitz: The Car of the Future Will Drive You

Even though Beijing has been easing its restrictions by adding New Zealand and Australia to the roster of "approved destinations" (it now includes Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines) for foreign holidays, it's still not that easy for a would-be wanderer from, for example, Wuhan to hop on a plane out of the country.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Travel Watch

Urbanisation will continue to drive China forward, moving people from the countryside to the cities like Wuhan where they can earn more.

BBC: Can Wuhan's state-owned giants adapt?

For example, Foxconn announced it was expanding operations to inland areas near Chengdu, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou, away from its coastal base.

WSJ: China's Rising Wages Propel Prices

The growth is, in large part, down to China's relentless drive to urbanise, which has now shifted from the coastal cities to inland areas like Wuhan.

BBC: Can Wuhan's state-owned giants adapt?

The cities of Chongqing, Wuhan and Zhengzhou, for instance, have allowed first-home buyers to borrow more from government-sponsored savings funds.

WSJ: China Housing Prices Rise After 9 Months of Decline

The high-speed Guangzhou-Wuhan service, which opened in December, cuts the 660-mile (1, 070km) journey from 11 hours to three.

ECONOMIST: Business travel