There are two main rivers near Yangshuo: the Yulong river and the famous Li River. Both are famous for its dramatic scenery and one of the best ways to enjoy the scenery is riding a bike. All the roads are pretty well managed to ride a bike. Not just for tourists, it is one of the major transportation systems for people who live here.
Dragon Bridge is one of the most highly recommended routes to people who want to cycle around Yulong River from Yangshuo. It’s about 21km round trip, and no elevation change. We rent a bike (City bike-10yuan, Mountain bike-20yuan) and pedaling our way to Yulong River. The sky was hazy just like our everyday in Yangshuo, but it seemed little bit better than last few days.
The view is great on either side, but in order to enjoy Yulong River on both sides, it’s better to cross the river before reach Dragon Bridge. You can cross the river by one of the countless bamboo rafts all over the river, but only if you can bare the hassle between bamboo rafters. We crossed by a small bridge right after Jima zhen (Jima town).
Parts of the roads were well paved and even country roads were comfortable for a bike ride. It’s not easy to find the right path to Dragon Bridge, but also it’s not easy to get lost. Just remember where is the river and which side you are on. The whole journey took about 5 hours but we did some detour.
It was a pleasant day. Good weather, considering everyday was damp and misty, better visibility than most of the days we’ve been here and relatively warm weather. The thing about Yangshuo is that it is a charming town but if you want to feel the beauty of this city, you need to get out of the town. Hiking, biking, walking or even cruising, there are several ways to look around the area. For biking, Yangshuo is biker friendly. Cheap bike rental places are all over the city.
After few more days and more outdoorsy activities, Yangshuo was growing on me. Still, all the photos are hazy and I didn’t see the shiny days like I was expected, it was good enough to enjoy the day, relatively. Maybe because previous few days were extremely cold and damp. If you are wondering about my first impression about China or Yangshuo, read this article: What’s going on China? – The First impression of China or Yangshuo.
Remember a few things for biking in China
Don’t be fooled by sweet-old Chinese guy who leads your way. There’s a high chance that he’s one of the bamboo boat drivers or he will try to sell you something.
There’s no rule for driving in China, or at least it appears to be. No matter what they’re driving, they will go anywhere and whenever they want. Don’t trust stop sign and streetlights, which mean nothing. Look around and be aware of vehicles around you. That’s the best way to do it.
