Yunnan is an amazing province for non-cycle travel groups and it is also a heaven for mountain bikers. The north of Yunnan province is neighbored with Tibet, a bike journey from Yunnan to Tibet is one of the most popular routes for local Chinese cyclists.
1. Best Sceneries – Located on the foot or Himalaya Mountains, as a doorway cycling into Tibet, Yunnan province has everything that bikers tend to love. The land of Yunnan express the world with sacred snow mountains, tranquil brooks and lakes, spectacular rivers and gorges, geothermal resources, forests, geographic stones and caves, grassland, the diverse natural wonders created a colorful kingdom within 390,000 square kilometers. A cycle tour in Yunnan satisfies the bikers very easily.
2. Well-preserved cultures - The battles fighting for land and thrones in old China happened more in the central China (Xi’an and the areas nearby) before Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Beijing (the north east) was firstly chosen as the capital for a Yuan Dynasty (the first time minority owns the big country in the history) in 1272, for over 300 years in the history, Yunnan areas was an independent areas named Dali Kingdom built by local supervisor sent by the central China when the dynasty changes and civil wars happened again. So the culture and heritages left by the ancestors were less destroyed during the fighting. Local style dwellings and towns, ancient streets, city walls are very worthy and easy to arrange into the cycling itinerary, local minority festivals can be a great fun and lifelong memories if we are lucky enough or touring during the special local holidays.
3. Challenges and funs for amateur cyclists – The hilly Himalaya Tibetan mountain foot makes the cycling in Yunnan province harder but is favored by experienced bikers. The elevation before reaching the real north of Yunnan is no more than 3500M, bikers are still enjoying their cycles and have a lot fun conquering the big undulation back roads or endless bike climbs, before bathing in the hotel hot springs, it is easier to do some real home stays and have featured food and experience.
4. To enjoy Tibetan lives without restrictions - In the northern part of Yunnan. Tibetan culture exists in many cities, Shangri-la, Deqing, etc. And it is also where the Tiger Leaping Gorge located, trekking on the highway of the gorge is known as one of the top routes in foreigners’ wishing list of China. Besides, the White Rice Terraces, the lakes and Snow Mountains there are attracting visitors all year round. Shangri-la is situated in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the northwest of Yunnan Province. Despite of the touring funs you can find everywhere, no elsewhere in China offers both Tibetan and other minority cultures like Yunnan and the life styles without paying tons of extra dollars for special travel permits for foreigners.
Route A: Cycling the north and middle of Yunnan from Shangri-la to Dali – people usually starts the cycling from Diqing (Shangri-la) for two reasons: 1. the north of Yunnan is with higher elevation than the middle so it is easier to ride and conquer the longer mountains first when bikers are more powerful at the tour beginning. 2. Kunming, as the capital city of the province is located in the middle of Yunnan, if you are not a cyclists holding special Tibet travel permit and guided by local people, Deqing will be the last stop you can get in north Yunnan, no matter where you are going to cycle in Yunnan, setting the finish point closer to Kunming is more convenient. A train from Dali to Kunming is the cheapest and fastest way for the returning / transferring to your next China travel destination.
This bike tour between Shangri-la and Dali is well known by westerners and being arranged by local China-based companies or foreign companies as their founder found it 15 – 20 years ago, when China was not as modernized as now. It is still very interesting to bike this route now, although some news is saying the roads near the Tiger Leaping Gorge is going to be rebuilt and no one is allowed to visit it in 2020/2021. A dream to explore some Tibetan culture and to cycle on the highland will become true if you join a group biking from Shangri-la to Dali. Famous attraction includes Gandan Songzanlin Monastery, Pudacuo National Park, Shangri-la Great Canyon, Napa Lake and Shika Snow Mountain, White Water Terraces, Hot Springs and the views of Snow Mountain of Yulong and Haba, Lijiang Ancient Towns, Dali (Temples, Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake), and many smaller peaceful rural areas like Shaxi. Including the transportation time, tourists may need 2 weeks to finish this route, mostly starting and ending both in Kunming.
Route B: Cycle the south of Yunnan from Jianshui to Xishuangbanna – the south of Yunnan province is covered by endless mountains, a supported cycling is more suggested compared with carrying your heavy luggage and spend the whole day pedaling uphill. Almost every peaceful smaller back roads and towns are connected by zigzag mountain roads, and the distance between each town is at least 35-40KMs, meaning, you are required to spend half of the whole day cycling on the wild mountains without seeing too much people or cars.
Before starting this route, riders will need a drive from Kunming to its south for hours before arriving Jianshui, a leisure cycling of the Jianshui Old City in the afternoon after the drive is absolutely one of the highlights of the trip. The famous Yuanyang Rice Terrace is not far away from Jianshui, perfectly to be arranged as the second day itinerary, and then all the way to the south west to one of the top 5 Chinese Tea’s hometown – Pu’er, finally arrives the real south bottom of Yunnan and the boundary between China and Myanmar – Xishuangbanna. The west and the south of Yunnan are also culturally valuable as the main minority Hani, Yi, Dai and more people are living there. A mixed 4 wheels car support and 2 wheels cycling make the tour in the south of Yunnan enjoyable.
After finishing the classic Shangri-la to Dali, if you go 350KM to the west and reach Jinghong, an international cycling route from China to Myanmar can be done.
