58 days: Yunnan motorcyclists cover 21,000km in China

Starting in Yunnan and ending in northeast China’s Liaoning, 17 motorcyclists from Yunnan province have covered a mileage of 21,000 kilometers in China’s less populated frontier areas within 58 days.

Organized by the Kunming-based Fengniao/hummingbird Outdoor Club, the ridding journey of “Rally China: Yunnan-Tibet-Xinjiang-Gansu-Inner Mongolia-Heilongjiang-Jilin-Liaoning” concluded on July 21.

Advancing mostly along the G219 and G331 national highways, the Yunnan motorcyclists passed through all the Chinese provinces listed above.

All the way, they saw grand sights and enjoyed unique folk customs and history: the magnificent Himalayas, the Sayram Lake, last teardrop of the Atlantic, the immense grassland in Inner Mongolia, China’s northernmost Beiji village in Mohe, and China’s easternmost area in Heilongjiang.

The Yunnan motorcyclists finished the route not taken by others.

“For self-drive tourists, this is a most classic route, one that will make you regretted if not taken even once,” said Hu Wenkun, chairman of the Yunnan-based Qingshan project management company.

Aged 31 to 59, the motorcyclists on the journey come from varied fields, but they shared the longing for something faraway.

The route features dazzling sights, as well as tasty dishes.

The Tibetan dishes, the beef, mutton and baked samosa in Xinjiang, the wholly-roasted lamb in Inner Mongolia and more.

Han Changheng is a senior motorcyclist.“The fun of a riding tour lies in the road-side sights, together with the helmet, motor suit and roar of the exhaust pipe,” said Han.

To many Chinese motorcyclists, a riding journey around the country is a dream of great excitement. So the riding tour is a dream-making one.

Wang Jie, associate professor at Yunnan University, was called ‘professor on the motorcycle’ by his fellow motorcyclists. Wang studies tourism in border areas and cross-border tourism.

“Through this inspection tour, I noticed that China's border provinces and regions have their own resources, advantages and potentials in developing border tourism,” said Wang, adding some are inspiring for tourism in Yunnan.

Yao Sirui, person in charge of the event, said they had spent one year in preparation, taking into account the journey’s duration and the riders’ skills, physical conditions and living habits, as well as contingency plans and logistic vehicles.

“Now that we've ridden through China’s land border areas, we plan to travel in the Chinese coastal areas by the end of 2021 or in next year,” said Hu Wenkun.

Hu’s company is planning to ride along the G228 national highway, in a bid to promote their motorcycle tours.

By Gateway reporters