The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Explore the Beauty, Culture of Kunming, China

March 6th to March 21st

Ride Director: Warner Griswold
Ride Co-Director: Cj Wang
Ride Driver: Andy He
Report by: Denise Weaver

Bicycling China. Many of us might have wondered about China and maybe even thought about taking a trip there, but we all know how bicycling puts us “in touch” with everything, the people, the sights, the sounds, and the smells. If you are still curious about China, sign up for the next China tour and experience China on a bicycle. The first China BAC trip was a series of rides in and around Kunming, capital city of Yunnan  Province, in southwestern China. Kunming is known for its year round mild climate, ethnic diversity and natural beauty. Our first full day of riding was on the Dianchi Greenway. This bike path weaves its way up and down the surrounding hills, past wetland parks and through 2 historic villages. 

From there, we headed out of town to visit some of the other highlights of Yunnan Province. In Luoping, the canola fields bloom from February through March or April. This day was probably a favorite for most of us - bicycling through a sea of brilliant, yellow flowers. The blooming fields are a photographer’s dream and are celebrated in a yearly festival. Seeing the vastness of the canola flower fields was the first hint at how incredibly successful agriculture is in China. Who knew that you can grow football fields of kale! China is the largest international producer of kale. It seems like every square foot of available soil is farmed. That agricultural productivity translated into more than we could eat meals with a variety of delicious dishes.

Another top attraction in Yunnan Province is the UNESCO World Heritage Site Yuangyang  rice terraces. We bicycled through the mountains catching views all day of these beautiful terraces which were hand carved into the mountainsides over 1,300 years ago by the ethnic Hani people. 

We bicycled through and visited ancient cities, said “Hello” to a million smiling Chinese, and shared a cold drink while sitting on the store proprietor’s only tree stump stool. I didn’t know what to expect riding a bicycle in China, but I had an unforgettable life experience. Thank you to our BAC leader and co-leader and to everyone who made this trip possible.