China Biking

Day 1

Meet your Backroads Trip Leaders (the folks wearing Backroads T-shirts) at 7:15 a.m. in Hong Kong at the China Ferry Terminal building. Please arrive dressed in your biking clothes, with a small daypack containing your passport, rain gear and any other items you’ll want for today’s ride. Remember, you need a valid single-entry tourist visa to enter mainland China (but not Hong Kong).

Ferry from Hong Kong to Gao Ming 3½ Hours
Bus to Jin Li 1 Hour
Zhaoqing Route 19 Miles (100-foot elevation gain)

After meeting in Hong Kong we head for mainland China the way explorers and traders have for centuries—by boat up the Pearl River Delta. Aboard a high-speed ferry we sail into what has become one of the most economically dynamic regions within China—if you own something that says “Made in China,” it was probably produced at some stage along the banks of this river. We disembark at the small port town of Gao Ming, clear customs and shuttle to a nearby restaurant for a simple Cantonese-style lunch.

With sated appetites, it‟s off to the town of Jin Li, where your Trip Leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk on biking techniques and safety. Then set off into the countryside of rural southern China, pedaling a mostly flat route past rice farms and newly built factories. You‟ll begin to notice the trend of quiet market towns rapidly developing into cities. While the area can feel like the world‟s workshop, it retains distinctive bucolic characteristics, including the occasional village with planted fields and wandering water buffalo. Walk your bike onto another ferry for a quick ride to bustling riverside Zhaoqing and pedal to our home for the night, the new OYC Hotel. This impressive resort is reflective of the new China—bold and expansive. Its sheer size may seem a little over the top, but the hotel offers a level of luxury and cleanliness previously unavailable in Zhaoqing. We just hope you don‟t spend all your time in the bathroom watching the big flat-screen television! This evening we gather downstairs for a traditional tea service and trip orientation followed by a Cantonese dinner featuring the freshest of ingredients.

Lodging: OYC Hotel

Day 2

Shuttle to Lubu 1 Hour
Lubu to Deqing Route 56 Miles (1,800-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: 33 Miles with Shuttle (400-foot elevation gain)

Say goodbye to Zhaoqing as we shuttle by bus farther into Guangdong Province. Our arrival in Lubu means we‟ve left the busiest roads behind and can return to our bikes for a full day of relaxed riding. The route follows country lanes past terraced rice fields, tropical vegetation and villages. Don‟t be surprised if you‟re greeted along the way by enthusiastic youngsters; Westerners rarely come through, especially on fast shiny mountain bikes!

A steep climb and a few rolling hills challenge you today, but what goes up must come down and you‟ll be rewarded by exhilarating descents throughout the ride. (The shorter option avoids most of the hills.) Our destination is Deqing, a quiet community and classic example of China‟s economic uniqueness. Its residents primarily work in the surrounding fields, and yet the heart of this little town now features 12-story apartment buildings. The buildings are mostly empty, as if they‟re patiently waiting for rural villagers to move to Deqing and transform it into a vibrant city. (Due to ongoing road construction, we may bike an alternate route, but rest assured we have a variety of options available.)

Lodging: Cui Ran Ju Hotel

Day 3

Deqing to Wuzhou Route 60 Miles with Shuttle (900-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: Yu Nan 30 Miles with Shuttle (500-foot elevation gain)

Fuel up with breakfast to prepare for the big ride to Wuzhou. As you pedal past charming riverside villages, remember to drink plenty of fluids—it‟s hot out here. In Yu Nan we stop for lunch at a simple and authentic noodle shop; it‟s a great opportunity to sample an array of local dishes. Afterward continue over rolling terrain into the countryside, passing through traditional towns whose residents still seem curious at the sight of Westerners on bicycles. Tackle one last climb before a short ferry ride across the river. (Again, we may bike an alternate route today due to road maintenance.)

We shuttle the final busy stretch to Wuzhou, a bustling city rich with parks and street markets, as well as building construction. Before dinner, treat yourself to a relaxing foot massage. (Enjoy—it‟s on Backroads!) Later you may feel like tasting one of the region‟s specialties such as snake wine or visiting our hotel‟s café for a proper cappuccino.

Lodging: Wuzhou Riverside International Hotel

Day 4

Bus Ride to Yangshuo Approximately 7 Hours
Yangshuo City Route 20 Miles (50-foot elevation gain)

Because bicycling groups aren‟t permitted on the road from Wuzhou to Yangshuo, we make the 200-mile trip by bus. Our route follows the course of the West River and then heads north through a landscape of green hills and lush rice fields. The long journey is an opportunity to learn more from our local guide. After passing through the small town of Haosin, which is usually closed to foreign travelers, we enter a region that for Westerners evokes a quintessential image of China: serene lakes and towering karst formations. Karst landforms are magnificent limestone pinnacles formed by the erosion of a prehistoric seabed and have inspired Chinese artists and poets for ages. Time and weather permitting, we‟ll stop just outside the village of Er Tang to give you the chance to hop on your bike and ride to today‟s final destination, the newly popular town of Yangshuo, situated on the Li River and encircled by scenic green peaks. Explore the town‟s famous open-air markets. Here many travelers collect chops, personalized stamps made in relief from soft stone. During our time in Yangshuo, cultural activities abound—you can even take a tai chi lesson.

This evening we meet up for dinner at the Green Lotus Hotel, our home for the next two nights. Looking for some nightlife? Join the throngs of young Chinese as they hit the music-pumping discos.

Lodging: Green Lotus Hotel

Day 5

Yangshuo to Qing Ping Route 17 Miles (100-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: 34 Miles (200-foot elevation gain)

Get the camera out for today‟s ride from Yangshuo to the small riverside town of Qing Ping. Leaving the main road, pedal through rolling rice fields for some of the best photo opportunities of the trip. Wonderful karst formations appear as we get closer to our destination and the route levels out.

Once in Qing Ping, walk through winding alleys to the river before shuttling or biking back to Yangshuo. Enjoy lunch and a few hours of free time to shop or return to the hotel for a massage (not included in the trip price).

This evening we‟re treated to a private cruise on a flat-bottomed boat on the tranquil Li River. You‟re on your own for dinner in Yangshuo—it‟s an excellent chance to visit the night markets to people-watch and load up on souvenirs such as embroidered silk, stone carvings and tapestries.

Lodging: Green Lotus Hotel

Day 6

Shuttle to Guilin Airport 1½ Hours
Flight to Xian 1½ Hours
Shuttle to Terracotta Warriors 1 Hour
Guided Walk of Terracotta Warriors 2½ Hours
Shuttle to Xian 1 Hour

Your Backroads leaders will facilitate a smooth passage through the airports this morning on our way to Xian. Still, there will be some waiting, so try to see these mundane moments as part of the journey. (One Backroads guest engaged a group of giggling elderly women by getting them to teach him to count to ten in Mandarin. You may surprise yourself by finding that you can communicate with the locals, even though you share not a single common word. Okay … they‟ll probably know “Kobe Bryant” or “Angelina Jolie”).

After landing we shuttle to the outskirts of town to the World Heritage site of Qin Shi Huang‟s Terracotta Army. (There are three coal-fueled power plants in the area, so please be prepared for the possibility of smog.) You‟ll notice that the scenery here differs significantly from what you‟ve just seen in the south; the northern countryside is dominated by cornfields as well as recent industrial developments.

Joined by a local guide, we walk through the enormous complex—a facsimile of the Qin capital, Xianyan. Discovered by peasants in 1974, this archaeological site contains four pits holding the clay soldiers that protect the mausoleum of Qin (the first unifier of China). More than 1,000 (of an estimated 6,000 to 8,000) warrior statues have been excavated. They stand forever at attention in full battle array, each a masterpiece with unique features, expression, clothing, headgear and emblems of rank. The immensity of the complex and the sheer number of figures is awe-inspiring. After our visit we lunch on thick chewy noodles, prepared by hand while we wait!

Following lunch we shuttle into Xian, one of China‟s most historically rich cities. Perched atop the remains of ancient kingdoms and surrounded by fertile farmland, Xian served as the imperial capital for 12 dynasties between 1000 B.C. and A.D. 1000. During the third century B.C., the Qin Dynasty, which united China under one empire, was founded just north of here in Xian‟s Wei Valley. After a full day of travel, we settle in at the Hyatt Regency. When you‟re hungry, enjoy dinner at one of the hotel‟s three restaurants or an eatery in town. (Whatever you choose, it‟s on Backroads.)

Lodging: Hyatt Regency Xian

Day 7

Xian Old City Wall Loop 6 Miles
Shuttle to Xian Airport 1 Hour
Flight to Beijing 1½ Hours
Shuttle to The Peninsula Beijing 45 Minutes

During the Ming Dynasty, Chinese cities were surrounded by high walls, most of which were eventually destroyed (especially during the Cultural Revolution). Xian, however, has retained its ancient fortifications, which we get to explore on two wheels! On simple single-gear bikes, we ride along most of the wall, which completely encloses Xian within an eight-mile perimeter and offers a bird‟s-eye view of the city. It‟s a great way to get familiar with your surroundings. As you observe Xian‟s dozens of construction cranes poised amid an ever-expanding battlement of high-rises, remember that you‟re riding on a 500-year-old city wall, looking into a 1,000-year-old neighborhood. The Shangri-la of myth and legend exists in Xian if you look carefully. You won‟t find it on the smoke stack-filled horizon, but you‟ll certainly see it in the old man performing tai chi on the ancient wall.

Afterward we head to the Xian airport and catch a flight to Beijing, a city steeped in imperial and communist history, 2008 Olympic glory and massive 21st-century growth. Beijing retains many elements of its former splendor, even as it develops a new cosmopolitan identity. Settle into your sumptuous room at The Peninsula Beijing and perhaps take a swim before we wander to Beijing‟s famous Qianmen Quanjude Roast Duck restaurant for dinner.

Lodging: The Peninsula Beijing

Day 8

Shuttle to Tai Ping Zai 2½ Hours
Walk on the Great Wall of China 3 Miles
Return Shuttle to Beijing 3 Hours

Getting an early start, we shuttle to the town of Tai Ping Zai, near Huang Ya Pass, and arrive at the Great Wall of China. Stretching some 4,500 miles, the Great Wall stands alongside the Pyramids of Egypt as one of the world‟s greatest human-made monuments. It was begun more than 2,000 years ago during the Qin Dynasty as a barrier to barbarian invaders and, although it never served its original purpose, it represents an engineering triumph. The sight of the wall snaking across hilltops and disappearing into the distance is unforgettable.

We drive farther from Beijing than most groups to see the Great Wall, and for good reason: we avoid the most touristic section around Badaling and get to relish the site in a far more natural setting. We set out for a walk on the wall, and since we have this remote section virtually to ourselves, we can actually walk on it rather than simply dodge tourists! Keep in mind that the Great Wall could be compared to the world‟s most scenic StairMaster; there‟s hardly a flat section as it twists up, down and around the rolling hills of northern China. Afterward enjoy lunch in a nearby town before returning via bus to Beijing. This evening, during our farewell feast at The Peninsula Beijing‟s acclaimed Jing restaurant, raise a toast to new friends and an extraordinary bicycling adventure.

Lodging: The Peninsula Beijing

Day 9

Beijing Loop 5 Miles
Forbidden City Guided Walk 1 Hour
Shuttle to the Beijing Airport 1 Hour

You can sleep in this morning and savor a final visit to our hotel‟s fantastic breakfast buffet or opt for a last bike ride to cap off your trip with a cultural flourish. Feeding into the buzz of bicyclists, food carts, cars and walkers, pedal Chinese cruiser bikes through city streets toward Tiananmen Square. In this expansive open area, created by Chairman Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution, you‟ll see the famous picture of Mao, the Great Hall of the People, the Chinese National Museum, and plenty of children flying decorated kites and adults relaxing on park benches. Back on two wheels, we spin to the fascinating Forbidden City, so named because for 500 years it was off-limits to everyone but the emperor and those closest to him. A self-contained world, the Forbidden City gave its inhabitants little reason to venture outside its walls, and many did so only when it was unavoidable. Only recently has the public been allowed in.

Return to the hotel through small alleyways featuring some of Beijing‟s last remaining single-story homes. After regrouping for lunch, we say our goodbyes and head to the Beijing airport.