Ride Call: Tao Hua Dao (TaoHua Island) Zhejiang province

[bikerdoc]

Calling any and all riding adventurers,

Ride: Island rides off the coast of Ningbo Zhejiang province most weekends in the summer months
Depart: Ferry terminal near Chunxiao new development area of Beilun district (Ningbo's economic trade and development zone)
Destination: Tao Hua Dao
When: 31 August or 1 September - 2 September
(if you cannot make it this time, or the weather turns to custard then some of us travel there often, so just drop a message here and we can sort something out).

TaoHuaDao Fishing.jpg
Fishing just off pebble beach

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Pebble beach Inn

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Pebble beach looking toward the fishing boat dry dock

Ride to Tao Hua Dao (Island) planned for this coming weekend. Likely some of us (2-3) will depart the Beilun peninsular port on Friday 31 August and return Sunday 2 September. Several other riders will likely depart for the island on the Saturday instead, due to their work commitments and what not. Naturally weather permitting and all that.

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Tao Hua Dao mountain top temple

Tao Hua Dao, has mountain ranges and there sits an old temple at the top of one. The road up to the temple is a great ride full of switchbacks with an incredible outlook with vistas over the sea and shipping lanes, and while the temple is the destination on said road, the road continues winding up past the temple up to a military installation. The said installation is active, so no going in there! The island has two beaches on either side. One is a big expanse of sand and is quite the commercial beach with jet-ski, speed boat and other associated beach toy hire. There is a designated swimming area complete with a netted zone patrolled by "lifeguards" while the beach on the other side of the island is a step pebble beach with nothing commercial aside from a old fishing village and converted home/motel/restaurant. This is the side we mainly stay on. There is also a township where all the commercial stuff happens plus lots of hotels, wet market, restaurants and bigger hotels and motels/inns are located. I have some photos from past trips a few of which I've posted here. Some riding buddies and I often take a ferry from near Beilun which is the development zone and port district of Ningbo city in Zhejiang province.

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Sandy beach

I was out at the island 2 weeks ago with a couple of friends having ridden our bikes to the ferry terminal, then riding on the island once there. We do this trip in the summer multiple times, as it is an easy trip with some nice riding and allows for a quick refreshing excursion away from the mainland. TaoHua Island also hasn't suffered the same development fate as other nearby islands like Zhou Shan Island has. It won't be long though. I realise that many of you reading this may feel the destination might seem far away indeed, but for those in Jiangsu or Shanghai it is a days riding from most of the locations thereabouts to Beilun, Ningbo. I know as I have ridden a good dozen or more rides between Ningbo - Shanghai - Ningbo (that's right often doing the return trip in the same day). So it is doable.

Some of us have a lot of glide time, so for any riders contemplating joining us on this or other trips to Tao Hua Dao then some of us can take a few extra days off to stay at the island to make your trip worth the effort. Happy to meet mid way for any out of town riders. Can also arrange to assist where or if needed. If you can't make this trip, keep in mind that we often do this trip twice to several times each month during the summer and a little less during the winter. So drop me a PM any time you might be interested -it will give me and some friends to go too.

For anyone contemplating heading down from up North, there is a newish bridge that spans the inner aspects of Hangzhou Bay so one doesn't need to ride all the way round the coat hanger of Hangzhou (like I used to have to do) and find ones way through Hangzhou city which is not motorcycle friendly in the slightest.

Hangzhou city motorcycle bans were always fun, as I'd often get lost if I made a wrong turn while trying to navigate my way "round" Hangzhou in the days before maps and GPS here. The bridge I refer to is West of the longer cable stay bridge and is part of the Expressway that is not for motorcycles. The alternative bridge can be found on "Google Maps" and is some distance from the long cable stay bridge I refer to. Follow either bank of the Hangzhou Bay inlet on "Google Maps" and you should locate the alternative bridge.

Keep in mind that there are some tolls on the Hangzhou side of this bridge, and it seemed as though motorcycles were/are banned from using it. Don't despair as there is a way to use the bridge. On either side of the Hanghzou Bay simply locate the main bridge columns (on either side of the bridge) use the ones to the East and one will find a wide set of stairs winding up the bridge column as well as a big wide elevator. Use the elevator, and then ride the bike lane of the bridge. I've done it several times. It's an experience and a half. Not sure if I have photos but I will dig them out if I have and post them here.

[SabineHartmann]

this time we cannot join in, but you gave me the idea for a nice October-Holiday-Ride 2012

Day1: Suzhou - Ningbo 317 Km
Day2: Ningbo - Taizhou 287 Km
Day3: Taizhou - Zhuji 251 Km
Day4: Zhuji - Anji/Moganshan 251 Km
Day5: Anji - Suzhou 167 Km

OHR 2012 Variante 1 29-08-12.jpg
Roundtrip ~ 1280 Km


maybe some Shanghai riders join in and we can meet down south and ride all together. the day distances are not so far, so even slower riders can enjoy the rides. the coastline must be great and I found som twisted roads in the mountains.

and one question: when I ride from Suszhou to Ningbo, I cannot use the big bridge, is there a ferry boat or need we ride all the way around the bay?

[bikerdoc]

Hi Sabine, I've edited my post and answered your question concerning Hangzhou "coathanger" there. Basically there is a bridge that is 1-2 years old that one can use that cuts off the Hangzhou city section of the route I used to take. It saves a fair amount of time, and avoids Hangzhou completely which bans motorcycles. I'm not sure we will be able to join you for all of your planned route in October though we could join in for some of it most likely. A few of our riding group will be heading to Jiangxi, then down towards Canton... as far as the loose plans are at the moment. Let's see...

[SabineHartmann]

thank you for the advice. that will save roughly 100 km bad traffic. I try to google it tomorrow.
it would be great to meet all and, hopeful, ride a part together. maybe some bikers from Beijing can join in the ride also. I will open a new thread so everybody, who is interested, can find it as seperate topic.

[TB-Racing]

idea for a nice October-Holiday-Ride 2012

Greater Hangzhou / Huzhou / Deqing / Moganshan / Anjii / Dashi area will be totally overrun by domestic Chinese tourists, very bad time to travel to the well known tourist spots during national public holidays.....

[SabineHartmann]

last year we have been in Xian and Pingyao. no problems with tourists and stuffed roads. staying in Suzhou and before Beijing is also no fun

[ShuBen]

@TB Racing

let's hear then your proposal for an October holiday ride.

[bikerdoc]

I'll check with the guys what the tentative plans are, and will likely add to this post and the one Sabine mentioned. As far as I know, we're off to Jiangxi (again) but a few of us will then head down towards Canton (some places that I can't recall at the moment), all I know is that one of the guys is moving down that way after 16+ years here in Ningbo, and he's having a new place built including a factory and it's near the coast.

I also like to avoid the hot tourist destination spots anytime but especially during the domestic travel seasons, so TB, ShuBen and others, are more than welcome to join in with our group. Hell it would be awesome to have some faces to put with the names we all see here all the time... I know that you'd all be made to feel real welcome. I'm not sure at this stage but I think our group will be somewhat smaller in size this October than previous years for a number of reasons, so instead of 12-20 bikes it might only be 5-6.

I'll report back later today with the info. Cheers...

[TB-Racing]

@TB Racing, let's hear then your proposal for an October holiday ride.

got different plans, definitely not hitting tourist hot-spots in greater Shanghai, Jiangsu & Zhejiang provinces.......

[SabineHartmann]

I just opened a seperate thread: southern October-Holiday-Ride 2012

@TB-Racing

nobody needs to join in.