Yunnan Xishuangbanna

Bordering on Laos, Burma, and Vietnam – and only a short boat ride from Thailand – Yunnan is one of the most ethnically diverse and geographically stunning areas of the world. Twenty-six of China’s fifty-six ethnic minorities reside in Yunnan, and The Hutong’s Yunnan Bike Journey gives riders the opportunity to experience the variety in Chinese culture while taking a challenging, yet fun, ride through remote mountain villages and verdant tea forests. 
 
This 385km ride takes us through Xishuangbanna, the southernmost prefecture of Yunnan Province – China’s most southwestern province. Renowned for its tropical climate and lush rainforests, the region is teeming with wildlife, rare plants, and historical and cultural significance. Xishuangbanna is the birthplace of tea cultivation, and is home to the Pu’er tea industry. 

Each day, adventurers meet a different ethnicity and savor their unique specialties. The secluded villages bring new flavors, new recipes, new stories, and new friends. From the area’s most populous minority, the Dai, to the region’s most remote ethnic groups like the Jinuo or the Hani, The Hutong’s Bike Journey explores one of the last virgin lands where one can find undisturbed but welcoming cultures.

In addition to our Summer Journey, this 7-day bike trip and cultural excursion takes place each October during Golden Week and each winter during The Chinese New Year. The Hutong also brings school groups to Xishuangbanna to study ethnic diversity, the history of China’s borderlands, the pros and cons of economic development, environmental preservation, and to be immersed in nature. We also organize private trips for groups of families and friends.