cycling in China

...I will also be cycling in China next year. My plan is to cycle from Southern China to Beijing starting around May 2014.
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regards
daniela

Linda and i just finished 6 weeks in West and North China, and ive done a 3 month ride there a few years back.

the south and the west are great on all counts, but the northern parts (say, north and east of Xian) can be incredibly dirty and busy, especially around the yellow river area. That said, it is something to experience the machine that is china for a while (just pack some wet wipes to remove all the coal dust).

Camping is no problem almost anywhere; so far ive never had anyone bother me at night in the tent, even if you're spotted. ive camped right at the roads edge on the road to the Lao border, and no one cares. The Police however might care, and demand that you move and/or register at the police station, so best to keep out of sight in general. This hasnt happened to me, but i heard about it in some places.

We found that carrying a message translated into chinese with you to present to people helped VERY much. Our message included a request for camping space nearby, and this usually ended up with us being welcomed into the home. On some occasions however we were rejected with such disdain that it left us shocked. China is a place of stark contrasts!

Staying with families or at other places is fine, but on a few occasions when I've stayed at a 'public' place such as a temple, town hall etc, the police have appeared. They have been nice each time, and just want to make sure you are safe and to register your passport details. you may or may not have to go to the station.

If you are going to start in the south, a nice route would be to stay west of a line between Chengdu and Kunming; lots of mountains, forests and tibet influence. Shangri la/tiger leaping gorge area. also not so busy or polluted . Guilin doesn't quite fit into that area, but you get the idea. A good friend of mine loved Qinghai lake.

In the west its all about the desert; start or finish in Kashgar or Urumqi if you fancy days of solitude and feeling like you are out on your own. The southern road to Kashgar (via Hotan etc) is the quieter of the two, though i heard there are more police there these days. The north route has a few more attractions.
Dunhuang to Ruochang via Lunghu is a great stretch; solitary, at altitude, and beautiful.

Enjoy your ride, it's a very interesting place and people are cool.

We did a 2 month ride in 2013, and a 3 month ride in 2011.
Both fantastic making it China one of our favourite places to ride

As previously mentioned, do take a few pre written phrases, in Chinese. Even something basic ones, such as ordering a basic meal, or to look at a room.
We took a tent along and used it often, mind you we tend to go off the track a bit. Other times we weren't accepted and had to camp out.

A great morning staple is Australian muesli you can get at most large grocery stores.

Depending what your interests are, chose a destination and go.
Kunming area is nice with great scenery, and historic towns and is well catered for western tourists.
Don't underestimate the terrain, length of hills, or road condition

Our rides with route, money spent, etc can be seen on these two links

www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/asia2

www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/stan1

Hey mate,

i lived in China for 6 years, 4 years in Chengdu, and have cycled thousands of km there. It would take me ages to give detailed info, but basically if you really want to enjoy cycling in China, stay away from the North, northeast and east as much as you can. central north also is pure dust and sand with nothing to see.
So, concentrate on the south Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang.
Of course we are talking tens of thousands of km here, but just focus on two or three provinces and you have a very nice 3 to 4000 km. A combination of Sichuan and Yunnan would be the best in my opinion for a first trip to China. The possibilities are endless.

Stay rural, stay away from the big hubs and you'll be fine.

Hey Chris,

I cycled China for 9 months in 2012 and 2013 - I would suggest you stay away from the Eastern seaboard (unless you really want to visit Shanghai, Hong Kong, and so forth) and look west. I spent 3 months in Yunnan province and found it amazing. Awesome mountains, rice terraces, tons of minority tribes, and pretty good roads for the most part.

I didn't have any trouble camping anywhere in China. Empty buildings, schools, restaurants, homestays, and couchsurfing are all options. Especially if you can pick up a little Chinese. Also, if you can learn a few characters, you'll be able to find guesthouses that charge something like $2-$3 per night.

Lots of details and stories about my time there at my website, www.threeruleride.com. Look for mostly any post before June 2012.