Another day, another bullet train. This one was marginally faster with a top speed of 305 km per hour and took 6 hours and 10 minutes to do the trip from Xian to Shanghai. Once in Shanghai, we were bussed to the hotel in the French concession. This area was ceded to the French as part of an agreement in 1849. The agreement ended in 1943 when the French, under pressure from the Germans signed the area back to the Chinese government. However, it does still retain its own character and distinctive charm – making it one of the premier residential areas of the city for much of the 20th century.