The best roads in China - 5,000 years of history - CycleBlaze

April 1, 2019 to April 6, 2019

The best roads in China

North of Dazhou, the G210 is a lot quieter.

Then 140 km from Shiquan, I left it altogether for backroads. After 30 km on them, it was getting dark and I easily found a hotel in Guanyin.

The next day, I rode 95 km to get to Shiquan (Sections of the route are missing from OpenStreetMap, but Baidu and Google are ok). The villages are really pretty.

In Shiquan I studied the maps and saw a promising 200 km route to Yingpan using only backroads. So I scanned it in high detail for hotels. I could see exactly 2 hotels, both conveniently located at the 105 km mark.

With a goal in mind, I headed out the next day. Due to construction work on the G345 and other delays, I only reached the hotels after dark.

It turns out they are resort hotels for the Mu Wang Mountain Park and fairly expensive, starting at $50/ night. They were both full due to Qingming festival. Fortunately they directed me to a homestay across the road which was only $18.

The next day I rode 100 km along quiet roads to Yingpan. This put me within striking distance of the famous city of Xi'an.

In every little village that I stop at, the people felt so honoured that a foreigner would visit. They want to take photos, but are a little bit shy. And if I open the translator app and start a conversation, they really light up.

A new bridge under construction
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Gloves permanently in place
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A leaky dam
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Truck accident
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Woman crossing the river to catch the bus
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The river bed in Yudu was completely dry. The little water that there is, is being used by the town and for irrigation ??
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The gravel will be used when the road freezes ??
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The cliffhanger hairpins on the G210
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The X314 is a twisting, winding mountain pass.
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Beautifully furnished hotel room with 50 inch TV and huge en suit for only $19
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Almost looks like a spiral
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A boat near Houliu
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Houliu
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The LBS in Shiquan replaced the conduit of my gear cables and fed me at the same time. $15
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I easily walked past the wet concrete on a small ledge on the right. They had a lot more difficulty.
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The Lotus Temple near Shiquan
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Waterfall
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Drying my laundry again
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The Shiquan police questioned my ability to ride the back road mountain passes. I told them I will turn back if there are obstacles. They gave me 3 bottles of water and 2 energy drinks.
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Fording the stream near Mu Wang Mountain.
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This would be a nice ride on Pi Day. (G345, North East of Mu Wang Mountain)
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Two tunnels on the G345
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Nice to be here again.
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Drying mushrooms on the X310
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I don't know how this bird died, but it's being displayed. Presumably to scare off other birds.
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Bill ShaneyfeltMight be a magpie.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_magpie
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5 years ago
This house has to dishes. One to watch CCTV and one to keep the tea pot warm.
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Cute little pig
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Today's ride: 594 km (369 miles)
Total: 2,627 km (1,631 miles)

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