China; on the tourist trail - mile 11147

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We are now on the well trod tourist trail of China; Chengdu for pandas, Xian for the Terracotta Army, Beijing & the Great Wall. Only of course we are not treading we are battling with the traffic. The stunning scenery has mostly gone and the riding involves fighting with all the other traffic on the road in hot and humid conditions. Its not unusual to take to the pavements in really bad traffic jams, nobody seems to mind and its what the locals do. Its almost like you are in a real, live, 3D video game dodging and weaving through all the vehicles.

For weeks now there has only been one road leading from A to B but now there are more and more roads branching off in all directions so navigation skills are required. At home we navigate by pubs, here you navigate by statues; “go straight on past the Cosmonaut”, “ turn left at the Golden Phoenix”. The navigation is required as bikes are not allowed on motorways so we are on the country roads but it also seems that we are not allowed in the centre of bigger towns. Travelling through one town each small group gets stopped by various police men who try to send us out of town but we keep insisting we have to follow the route and catch up with our guide. They eventually manage to herd us all back into one group and we get a police escort out of town.

The most notable thing about the scenery is all the building. We regularly pass groups of 20 or so tower blocks all part completed with tower cranes on the tops. And then there are giant (30m high) concrete “pillars” marching across the countryside waiting to take either the new superhighway or the new super-fast railway track from Shanghai to Beijing, They seem to be everywhere like some strange aliens invading the landscape.

At Chengdu we visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Centre - the youngsters are well cute and cuddly, tumbling around with each other but the adult pandas do seem to be doing some pacing up and down when they are not stuffing themselves with bamboo. Nearby is the Sanxingdui museum which is spectacular and displays finds from the Shu culture. They existed as an independent kingdom from 2000-800BC and their bronze works are amazing and totally different to those of the main Chinese dynasties. They are most famous for their masks and heads with exaggerated eyes and ears - probably idols for ancestor worship, the largest mask is 138cm x 66cm (4 ½ feet x 2 feet). There's also a stylised bronze figure 1.72m high (5foot 6inches) weighting in at 180kg. They really are amazing.

We stop overnight in Langzhong which is a sweet little town. The old quarter is still full of traditional architecture with narrow alleyways, hidden courtyards and lots of people scurrying round. In the evening the riverside bars are full of locals and it has a really pleasant hustle and bustle feel to it, its just like a scene out of one of those kung-fu/triad films. In the modern part of town there's communal dancing in the main square except everyone is doing there own thing - there's line dancing and waltzing going on to the same tune. Then early he next morning there's tai chi down at the river front. Its a great place where you fell you are totally surrounded by Chinese culture with no other tourists in sight.

On the way to Xian we are treated to a great day of scenery riding through Foping National Park where Giant Pandas still live. Its nice to be on twisty, turning roads again high up above the reservoir surrounded by woodland and colourful birds and lots of hollyhocks, they are growing everywhere and look really out of place for some reason.

In Xian we obviously go and visit the Terracotta Warriors (very impressive) but the town has a lot more to offer (including the Haagen Dazs shop!). It has a nice relaxed feel to it and is easy to wander round visiting the impressive walls and gate towers that en-circle the city, the enormous Bell and Drum Towers that used to herald in the start and end of the day, the Taoist and Buddhist temples, the old Muslim Quarter full of narrow lanes and marker stalls and the most amazing mosque ever - it 's totally Chinese in style and just doesn't look like a mosque. There is also the most amazing dumpling restaurant here where you can identify the contents by the shape; little kens complete with cocks-combs, little ducks, fishes etc. They are very cute and also very tasty.
Now were are on the last leg with the bike; Beijing is less than 1000 miles way but we're heading onto the busiest, most congested and in some ways the most challenging roads so far.

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Photos

weaving through the traffic
these brick trucks are very common and very dangerous - bricks are constantly flying off them

navigation by statues
"straight on at the cosmonaut", "1st right after the Golden Pheonix", "left fork at the trees on the rock", "1st left after the Red Star"

the new super-fast motorway and a few of its furture users (well 21 to be precise)
its unusual to find it next to the existing road, its usually stomping straight across the countryside devouring everything in its way.

oops - the road has run out
they're still building the bridge so we have to wait for the tiny "ferry"

red panda
more active and playful than the B&W version

Sanxingdui Museum
4000 year old bronze masks from the Shu culture - the largest is 138cm x 66cm (4 ½ feet x 2 feet).

Sanxingdui museum
4000 year old Shu culture bronze head covered in gold

Sanxingdui museum
the bronze statute is 2,65m high (the man is 1.72m) and weighs 180kg - not bad for 4000yrs ago.

changing faces show
its quite amazing even when they are stood next to you you cant see how they change the faces in a split second.

more traditional dancing
very colourful and entertaining

navigating the back streets of Chengdu
nice spot for a picnic

back in the traffic
up ahead you can just make out bikes taking to the pavements

Comments

[Davis & Diana]

China regulations!
Did you join in the physical training/dancing in the streets? Am surprised about the restrictions for m/c on the motorways and town centres! ........... enjoy, David & Diana

[danielle]

good to read you.
I was just saying we have heard from you for a while & pop here you are! Its nice to have he next installment, though that was months ago. Where are you now? in outer Mongolia, Japan, Indonesia. Surely not at home! Chris is flying in para glider, I make jam. How tame is that? All the best Danielle