Bicycle riding China - behind the Zuthou mountains

Bicycle riding China sometimes include cycling areas few, if any ever come. The trail to cycle behind the Zuthou mountains is such an area. We start our exploration of this trail at the Dragon Bridge (read more about the Dragon Bridge here). This bike ride can be done in an afternoon including the ride to Baisha.

Bicycle riding China: Valley behind the Zuthou Mountains

Although not many cycle this trail, many do see the trail nowadays as the dirt road follows the highway. But let's start at the beginning, at the Dragon Bridge. Cross the bridge and go left (boarding for the rafts is at the other side of the river).

From here the road will curve along the mountains and leads to the highway

After a kilometer or so, there's a junction. A smaller trail leads to Jinxian and a bridge. Follow the main dirt road. After a few hundred meters you will see the highway. Follow the dirt road which accompanies the highway. It is 10 km or so to Gaotian.

In front the Zuthou Mountains

Despite the highway next to you, this is a beautiful trail to cycle, especially as there's little traffic on the highway.

Road through the Zuthou Valley

You will pass several villages until you reach a junction. You're now at about 3 km from Gaotian. You can continue bicycle riding China to Gaotian but a nicer option is to cross the mountains here.

Road through the Zuthou Valley
The highway is to your right, but you hardly see it

Should you cross the mountains, the path passes a village and you have to climb a little bit up. Once you are at the other side you have to keep left. Going right leads to Tongmen Hill and the path here is at best sketchy though not impossible, see my description of that path here. Alternative you can continue to Gaotian and cycle on the main road via Moonhill back to Yangshuo

Here you cross the Zuthou Mountains back to the Yulong River

When you go right, the path is small, sometimes even hard to see, it passes a small graveyard and then comes back on the asphalt road.

In front the Zuthou Mountains
Bicycle riding China: path connecting the Yulong River
with the valley behind the Zuthou mountains.

Once back on the asphalt road, you can not cross the river right here, continue cycling on the asphalt for another kilometer or so. The Jinxian Bridge is nearby.

The graveyard which you pass on the way back to Jinxian Bridge