Cycling in China

“Sometimes my friends ask me why I only run tours in China when I could make more money running international tours,” says Wendy Xue, manager of our partner China Adventure Tours. “I say that it’s because I love it. I’ve seen so many different landscapes and cultures in China, and I want to show them to people who wouldn’t otherwise get to see them.”

For many travelers, China is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip, which means tours are often organised around the same main sights, major cities and historical monuments. Wendy worries that, as a result, most people’s memories of China are the same.

“For me, that is not the meaning of travel,” says Wendy. “To travel is to discover something new or to be challenged. It’s having the time to slow down, to talk with the locals or see some of the local life which gets eclipsed by the landmarks.”

And what better way than to slow down the pace than by traveling on two wheels? Cycling vacations in China are both a window into local life – wheeling down Beijing’s winding streets alongside students on their way to meet friends at a café – and an adventure. They open up the surrounding countryside, which is still untouched by tourism in many areas.

Slow travel is starting to grow in popularity in China, but it’s something that China Adventure Tours has been specialising in for years. “We want our travelers to have a more meaningful and unique experience,” says Wendy. “Slow travel allows our travelers to spend more time in one city or area – to really get under the surface of a place and see a different side to China.”

Whether you’re on a cycling vacation or simply exploring the streets in your free time, cycling is one of the best ways to see China’s cities. Hop in the saddle and ride around the hutongs of Beijing, where you’ll join locals out for a morning spin or on their way to meet friends at a café. Cycle the length of the country’s best preserved city walls in Xi’an, a 14km-long and 12m-high route that encircles the old town. Or pedal through downtown Chengdu on your way to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base.

China’s largest tropical island is best known for its beaches and boardwalks, but there’s plenty more to see by bike. While the south is often hot and humid, the cooler highlands in the center of the island are ideal for exploring on two wheels. Ride through rainforest hinterlands to the waterfall-studded foothills of Wuzhi (Five Finger Mountain), the island’s tallest peak that often comes cloaked by tropical clouds. These are the homelands of the Hlai and Miao ethnic groups – the island’s first settlers – who live in the traditional rural villages you’ll see on your route. Your final stop is the Pearl Coast, where sparkling waters and sandy bays offer some respite for weary legs.