The best roads in China

April 1, 2019 to April 6, 2019

North of Dazhou, the G210 is a lot quieter.

Then 140 km from Shiquan, I left it altogether for backroads. After 30 km on them, it was getting dark and I easily found a hotel in Guanyin.

The next day, I rode 95 km to get to Shiquan (Sections of the route are missing from OpenStreetMap, but Baidu and Google are ok). The villages are really pretty.

In Shiquan I studied the maps and saw a promising 200 km route to Yingpan using only backroads. So I scanned it in high detail for hotels. I could see exactly 2 hotels, both conveniently located at the 105 km mark.

With a goal in mind, I headed out the next day. Due to construction work on the G345 and other delays, I only reached the hotels after dark.

It turns out they are resort hotels for the Mu Wang Mountain Park and fairly expensive, starting at $50/ night. They were both full due to Qingming festival. Fortunately they directed me to a homestay across the road which was only $18.

The next day I rode 100 km along quiet roads to Yingpan. This put me within striking distance of the famous city of Xi'an.

In every little village that I stop at, the people felt so honoured that a foreigner would visit. They want to take photos, but are a little bit shy. And if I open the translator app and start a conversation, they really light up.

Woman crossing the river to catch the bus

The river bed in Yudu was completely dry. The little water that there is, is being used by the town and for irrigation ??

The gravel will be used when the road freezes ??

The X314 is a twisting, winding mountain pass.

Beautifully furnished hotel room with 50 inch TV and huge en suit for only $19

The LBS in Shiquan replaced the conduit of my gear cables and fed me at the same time. $15

I easily walked past the wet concrete on a small ledge on the right. They had a lot more difficulty.

The Shiquan police questioned my ability to ride the back road mountain passes. I told them I will turn back if there are obstacles. They gave me 3 bottles of water and 2 energy drinks.

Fording the stream near Mu Wang Mountain.

This would be a nice ride on Pi Day. (G345, North East of Mu Wang Mountain)

I don't know how this bird died, but it's being displayed. Presumably to scare off other birds.

This house has to dishes. One to watch CCTV and one to keep the tea pot warm.

Today's ride: 594 km (369 miles)
Total: 2,627 km (1,631 miles)

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