Dongjing Mian Temple is the biggest temple in Mengding. Unlike Guangyun Mian Temple, Dongjing is totally a Dai-styled temple without any Han characteristic. So you won't find gold dragons or stone lions.
On the top of the mountain locates a beautiful white tower.
Mengding（Here）is an small but important village between China and Myanmar. It is 130km away from Cangyuan. My uncle has worked there for ten years when he was young. So we decided to go there to visit some of his old friends.
Sculpture of three Wa people.
The road was constructed alone the Nangun River, and lot of waterfalls was falling from the mountains in rainy season.
Wengding is one of the reserved typical Wa-styled village. These thatched cottages are homes to Wa people living in mountains.
People work and keep livestocks on the ground while sleep on the second floor in case of beasts.
One thing that makes the Wa Nationality culture famous is the rock painting discoverd in 1965. More than 3,000 years’ history makes it one of the most historical rock paintings of China.
A Wa-styled village. The art works are hidden in the cliff mountains behind it.
Guangyun Mian Temple, locates north of Cangyuan, is more than 170 years old. It is one of the most influential Theravada Buddhist places in southeast of China. The temple is a mixture of Dai style temple with Han architectural building. You can see beautiful wood engraved works in the window pane, and the murals inside are famous. We visited there the second day morning. That few people was there because of the remoteness contributes to the peacefulness…
The east side of the temple. The yard is too small to step back for a integral shot of the building.
We arrived Cangyuan, a county located in southeast of Yunnan Province between China and Burma (location), late. It is famous for its Wa Nationality culture.
We intended to stay overnight in the resort (the village in the middle of picture), where my father had lived in last time he came here, but it is no longer operating.
If you turn around there was a peaceful reservoir because I took these two photos on a dam.
Day9-10: July 13-14, Visiting Chengde Spots
The following two days I was wandering in Chengde, a famous tourist city in China. Now please follow our local guide, Mr An.
In the park locates the Twin Colossals, a small hill with two huge towering rocks standing on the top.
Seeing from the hill
The mountain style of Chengde
Two natural huge rock stands there strangely. What’s more, there is a small tower on each top of the rocks. People theorize they were formed millions of years age by water force when there was once a river. But no one knows who have built the towers.
Puning Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in North China.
Locals call it “Big Buddha Temple” for the world’s largest wood thousand-hand Guanyin statue in it.
The Emperor built Puning Temple for Panchen Lama, in order to show our friendship to Tibetan.
So the temple was built in Tibetan style.
countless locks locked by countless tourists
These “Heart Locks” have no key holes. People do this to “lock their hearts with buddha” permanently
Another strange rock, even larger than Twin Colossals
The world famous Summer Resort. The word was written by Kangxi Emperor/
The hall was built with the best wood in China. Even today the wood was still perfect without any worm damaging
Summer Resort is one of the largest gardens built along the way from Beijing to Mulan Paddock (zone of Bashang and Weichang) in order to supply dining, accommodation and entertainment for the Emperor and other royal members when they went to Mulan Paddock.
the pond was full of lotus
Lake Area is the most beautiful part of Summer Resort.
with “72 spot” in the garden, Summer Resort gathered all Chinese building styles. From north to south.
Gathering all building styles in a garden stands for a minimized China, in another word, the whole China only belongs to the Emperor
Day11-12: July 15-16, Chengde-Luanping-Gubeikou-Miyun-Huairou-Beijing, 230km
It' rained in the morning. I was considering going back by automobile instead of bike. However, it was impossible to put my bike in a public vehicle. What suprised us was the day went sunny again when we had no ideas. Good, now I can go back by my bike! I had a good-bye lunch with An Bo in the restaurant we enjoy our gee feast. The tough journey connected two strangers tightly, and we are intimate friends now. Thanks for your 10 day’s company.
It’s a lonely trip without partner, but I could ride at higher speed and few rests.
5 o’click, I arrived at Jinshanling Greatwall. I intended to visit it and shot the golden sunset of Great Wall. But the ticket’s price was so high without any discount to students. Ok, go ahead, let’s see our Gubeikou Great Wall free.
Gubeikou Great Wall
Sunset
Fort of Gubeikou Great Wall. It’s aged building on the mountains without any repair because it’s free to visit
Back to Beijing
The Gubeikou Great Wall
The Memorial of Operations for Safeguarding Gubeikou.
More than 100 soldiers were killed in the battle against Kuomintang armies in Jan, 1946
Mountains of Gubeikou
I stayed in a small village, in which one of my senior, also my fellow villager, was working there. We talked a lot about travel, photography and insects. Other young people worked there also graduated from CAU and treated me friendly.
I was woke up very very early by my stupid senior the next day, also the last day of the journey. I had some breakfast in their public dining hall, pack up my load, heading Beijing. Soon I reached Miyun County, then Huairou District. I had my lunch in the “Fast Food Bar” that we patronized 11 days ago and I went back alone the same road we came from.
The Olympic old man and his son riding tricycles from Kunming to Beijing.
The distance is about 4000 km and the journey had lasted more than 2 months.
At 5:00, when my distance recorder showed 1123.3km, I stopped in my school, completed this valuable bike tour successfully!
(The End)
For my time and language limitation, I’ve left out a lot of details.
You may click here to read the full Chinese version.
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅰ
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅱ View Map
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅲ View Map
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅳ View Map
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅴ View Map
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅵ View Map1 Map2
Day7: July 11, Jixielinchang-Weichang, 80km
Time flies, today we would leave the beautiful Grassland and arrive at Weichang County——back to the “First Stair” again. However, I was not satisfied with what we’ve seen. So before we set off, I get up early while An Bo was still sleeping. I rode alone the road that we rolled yesterday until the Source of Luanhe River. The air was not very clear, but the forest was peaceful in the morning fog.
Flowers carpeted on the forest ground
Peaceful morning picture
the sunrise
There were huge amount of hungry huge mosquitos in the pine forest. They bit on my arm even I was dressed in a long-sleeve autumn coat and full of essential balm! Maybe I was the only mammal they could found here…
I hope it could help me to destory some mosquitos…
fairyland
The following pics were taken on our way to Weihang County.
forest lane
The birch forest
birch trees
Here must be more beautiful in autumns
This is another steep slope, fortunately, it’s only 1km
Horses were drinking at Moon Lake
Moon Lake is another resort for city vacationers
A lovely deer. Local people use it as prize to attract visitors to play their “easy to win” games.
Poor deer, where is your mother?
Trollius chinensis is a kind of famous flower on grassland.
The Saihan Tower, located top in this region. There was also a Saihan Temple nearby, which is said to be the smallest temple recognized by Kangxi Emperor.
The Jixielinchang is the name of this forest farm. “Jixie” means mechanical and suggests that the forest was aerial planted
some local specials of Saihanba
The portal of Saihanba National Forest Park. Actually, we entered the park from its back gate. Now it’s time to say good-bye to Bashang.
Day8: July 12, Weichang-Chengde, 140km
Today’s journey was the longest amoung the daily trips. An Bo was exciting. His families were waiting him to back home. Yes, he’s a Chengde guy. The day became sunny again. I kept dreaming of taking marvelous pictures on grassland under such blue sky and white clouds…
scenery on the way
Although the distance was the longest, we rode very fast. In the afternoon, when we arrived at the foot of a 4km slope, An’s father suddenly appeared. Following his motorbike, we soon reached the top. The last gift was a 30km slope to Chengde. “ I’m Home!!!!”, An Bo disappeared in a rush.
7:30, we had sat in a Chengde’s restaurant, enjoy our gee feast with An's parents. I took a comfortable bath and lived in An’s home. Chengde is famous for its Summer Resort. What a cool night!
Now An Bo had completed his journey, but another 200km to Beijing was still waiting for me…
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅰ
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅱ View Map
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅲ View Map
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅳ View Map
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅴ View Map
Bike Tour - Bashang Grassland Ⅵ View Map1 Map2
