China South East: Hidden China

redspokes 'Hidden China' adventure cycling holiday starts in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province beginning a journey of discovery cycling through rural China. Diverse ethnic minorities live in Guiyang, enriching the city with their colourful folk traditions and cultural activities. For the start of our cycling tour in China, we transfer out of Guiyang into quiet minority areas where the cycling commences. Following secluded back roads, we ride up into mountain villages to discover a world far from the modern face of China.

During redspokes cycling holiday in China, you will discover as many as 30 different ethnic minorities who live peacefully alongside one another in the areas we cycle in Guizhou and northeast Guangxi, with a huge variety of cultures. Generally, Dong villages are located along river valleys whilst Miao villages are scattered amongst the hills. During our cycling holiday, you will discover that minority communities have maintained their cultural traditions over centuries, living simple remote lives, away from modernity and full of unique character.

The Dong are known for their architecture, particularly the octagonal pagoda-type drum towers (Gulou), and wind and rain bridges that provide shelter for people during bad weather. Built without a single nail, they are the symbol of the Dong people and serve as a gathering place for the villagers to discuss and settle important matters and to stage festivals or entertainments. Thoughout our cycling tour, you will meet various Miao, the Miao were among the first people to settle in present day China, and among the first rice farmers in China. Miao wear brightly coloured embroidered clothing and observe strong cultural traditions including a love of storytelling and music.

We discover their world as we cycle through China reaching the Longji rice terraces (Longji Titian), known as the Dragon’s Backbone by the locals. Entire mountain sides have been transformed into rice fields creating a dramatic landscape like great chains, or ribbons extending from the foot to the top of the hills.  Etched into the mountain they rise in stepped formation towards the skyline to reach mountain top village Ping An.  

Having cycled the remotest of settlements up in the hills and experienced inspirational, breath-taking mountain scenery on our cycling holiday in China we bicycle away from the rice terraces towards Guilin. The mountains and waters around Guilin have been described as the best under heaven riddled with limestone Karst formations, caves and lush greenery. Calm rivers and streams meander through the cliffs and rocks irrigating farms and villages where we will see orchards, vegetable plots, reservoirs and farmyards alive with the sound of clucking chickens.

From here you can choose to extend your holiday, cycling alongside the tranquil waters of the Li River and into the hilly landscape of Karst limestone peaks, to reach Yangshou, famous for the landscape depicted on the ¥20 note. There are also interesting caves and temples to visit.