When we came up with the idea of cycling around the Shandong Peninsula, our friends told us, “You guys are junooni (fanatics).” But we were determined to complete this dream cycling tour of ours.

The objective was straightforward: To explore China, find out whether it is actually difficult for expats to travel freely in the country as portrayed in the international media, know whether the Chinese really love Pakistanis the way we have been taught throughout our lives, and finally, to defy the general perception that Pakistanis lack the spirit of adventure.

We chose the Shandong Peninsula because of its historical importance, attractive scenery, diverse cuisine, and rich culture. Besides, it was close to Qingdao where we live.

The Shandong Peninsula is located in the Shandong province in eastern China, between the Bohai Sea to the north and the Yellow Sea to the south.

The peninsula’s territory comprises three major cities of the Shandong province: Qingdao in the southwest, Yantai in the north and centre, and Weihai at the eastern tip.

Besides these three prefecture-level cities, the peninsula has many county-level cities and villages as well.

We opted for bicycles because of their simplicity, slowness of pace, and the worm’s-eye view they allow a rider to have. On a bicycle, one does not just observe the scenery but gets absorbed by it. For students like us, bicycling is an economic, healthy and environment-friendly way of travelling as well.

The tour was a completely new experience for us. Even though we had explored Qingdao and its districts on bicycle before, we had never done a long distance cycling tour prior to this.

It was imperative that we not allow our inexperience to triumph and so, in order to make our trip safe and sound, we arranged all necessary equipment. We took with us our cycling toolkits, some extra tyre tubes, an air pump, rain coats, air pillows, etc.

We set off on April 22, 2017.

We planned the trip as a point A to point A tour, starting from our university, Ocean University of China, in Qingdao and returning right where we began on May 5, 2017.

In the course of our journey, we passed by more than 12 prefecture-level and county-level cities: Qingdao, Jimo, Laixi, Zhaoyuan, Longkou, Penglai, Changdao, Yantai, Weihai, Rongcheng, Rushan, and Haiyang.

We rode through the difficult terrains of rural Shandong as well as on the smooth roads along the coasts of the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea, covering a distance of more than 1,000 kilometres.

Initially, it was tough to cycle on the relatively hilly roads of Shandong with the considerable amount of weight of the equipment loaded on our bikes. But our stamina gradually grew, along with the strength in our thighs.

Jimo was the first stopover. It is a county-level city close to Qingdao. One can take either the general traffic routes or the Yangkou Tunnel which is 3.8 kilometres long.

We took the general traffic routes which run mostly through the main city area, but are often hampered by numerous traffic signals. It is a small city, but is home to some classical architecture and big shopping malls.

The next destination was Laixi. We followed the rural traffic routes to get to Liaxi, which were often crowded with heavy vehicles, but one got to see the rural life.

Laixi is known for its slower pace of life. In the evening, residents can be seen fishing and exercising at the Moon Lake Park.

We also spent an evening with the elderly Chinese exercising in the park. They welcomed us to participate in their exercise activity which included traditional music and dance.

On our third day, we arrived in Zhaoyuan, another county-level city located on the seashore of the Bohai Sea. We had again taken the rural traffic routes but encountered light rain on our way.

Riding in the rain was quite a novel experience, but the best part was that we came across so many people who offered help. They gave us umbrellas, raincoats, and asked us to take shelter in their shops. Some also offered us hot drinking water.

We learnt that drinking hot water is an old tradition here in China and is believed to be a source of good health. Be it summer or winter, one can see people carrying their own bottle of hot water.

In Zhaoyuan, what we found particularly fascinating were its magnificent architecture and scintillating night views. At night, one can see bridges and high-rise buildings showered in beautiful, colourful lights, around a lake located just outside the main city.

One can also find numerous parks and gardens within the city which make Zhaoyuan green and tourist-friendly.

We rode to Longkou next. Along the route, one can’t miss the Nanshan Mountain Tourist Area. It is the first-ever AAAA-rated scenic area in the province - a rating that’s given only to some of the most important cultural and historical places or buildings in China.

The main attraction here is the Great Buddha. Weighing 380 tonnes and measuring 38.66 meters, it is the largest tin bronze sitting Buddha statue in the world.

We rode up to the top of Nanshan on bicycle and it proved to be the toughest ride of our whole tour. The tourists were amazed when they discovered that we managed to ride up to the top on bicycle.

We took a less familiar route to get to the summit in order to see and explore the rural life and the villages located around the Nanshan Mountain. Throughout the ride, we passed by quaint villages and stunning sceneries.

We noticed numerous elderly villagers working in the fields all day long. We learnt that since the youth is increasingly moving to the cities for education and employment, their parents and grandparents are left to tend the fields.

Another observation we made was the community involvement in the protection of forests, water conservation, and tourism promotion. We came across many locals dressed in uniforms, tasked by the government for these purposes.

Longkou is quite mountainous in the south and in the first half of our journey, we had to ride through the difficult terrains of rural Longkou.

The second half of the journey started from Penglai and was mostly through the urban areas of Penglai, Yantai, and Weihai, and along the smooth coasts of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea.

In Penglai, we spent two full days because there is so much to do and see. The special thing about Penglai is the Penglai Pavilion Scenic Area.

One will find here ancient city walls, iron cannons, some small and medium-sized temples, an ancient light house, and lots of historic carvings of words and poetry.

The main point of interest for us was the fort-like structure that occupies the mountain on the north of the shore. One can also take a cable car to the adjacent cliff with great aerial views of the Changdao Islands.

Changdao Island is a wonderful place to see around Penglai. It is known for its rocky beaches and picturesque cliffs. The island is regularly served by both passenger and vehicle roll-on/roll-off ferry from Penglai and one can take their bikes on the ferry as well. But in order to do so, one needs to inform them beforehand because sometimes they may not allow it.

We arrived in Yantai after riding along the scenic coast of Bohai Sea. Yantai is one of the major cities and the largest fishing port in the province. The best thing to do in Yantai is gaze at the Yantai skyline dotted with high-rise buildings, besides lying idly on the sandy beaches.

Our stay in Yantai was short but eventful. Our four star hotel’s management asked us to take our bicycles to our bedrooms because they thought they wouldn’t be safe in the car parking.

Later, while in a park, we unknowingly entered an army-controlled area adjacent to the park. The security officers inquired about us and let us go when they found out we are expats and exploring Shandong on bikes and had entered the place mistakenly.

They dealt with us in a very friendly manner and asked us if we needed any help. We got to see the friendly and supportive attitude of Chinese officials in all the cities and villages we visited.

En route to Weihai, we came across a Chinese biker who suggested that we visit the Yangma Island which is a few kilometres off the main Yantai-Weihai route. We crossed a long bridge and arrived on Yangma Island.

The island is round-shaped and we actually rode around the entire island in a few hours. The place is mostly famous for horseback riding and antique horse-drawn carriage rides.

For Weihai, we dedicated two full days. It is the easternmost prefecture-level city of the province and an important seaport. The major landscapes of Weihai are the Happiness Gate and the Weihai International Bathing Beach, but for us the highlight of the day was the Huaxiacheng Tourist Scenic Area.

It is a huge complex with a great number of tourist spots and activities. One can find a mixture of gardens, temples, traditional architecture, statues, museums, and shows.

The most surreal part of the day was when we got to experience a level 7 earthquake in a special simulation room in the Weihai Air Defense Education Museum.

It is a moveable wooden compartment which can house around 20 people. During the simulation, one can hold the steel frames fixed inside the room in order to keep one’s balance.

It was an absolutely thrilling undertaking. The presentation is part of a series of different shows meant for public education.

The longest ride of our tour started from Weihai and ended in Rongcheng. We rode over 150 kilometres that day and even rode during the night for a couple of hours.

Rongcheng is one of the most stunning county-level cities in Shandong. The must-see places here are Chengshantou and the Swan Lake.

In order to get to Chengshantou, one needs to ride up the mountainous region in the extreme east of Rongcheng, which was a really challenging task.

Chengshantou is located at the easternmost part of the Chengshan Mountain. It is also referred to as the Cape of Good Hope, as it is the first spot in China where people see the sun rise in the morning.

An intriguing thing about Chengshantou is that one can go to the seaside from a hill via a deep, long and picturesque cave.

Another must-see place in Rongcheng is the Swan Lake. It is an ideal habitat for swans that migrate from Siberia to this small fishing village to spend the winter.

While making it to our final destination, Haiyang, we passed by the small but striking city of Rushan. It is a county-level city that borders Yantai to the north and looks out to the Yellow Sea to the south.

In Haiyang, we were forced by the heavy rain to spend an extra day, but we managed to leave on the third day when it was lightly drizzling. The special thing about Haiyang is that it is strategically located in the centre of the prime tourist trio of Qingdao, Yantai and Weihai.

One can travel to all these three major cities of the Shandong province directly from Haiyang. So our final ride was also from Haiyang back to Qingdao.

Throughout our journey, we were warmly welcomed by everyone we came across. The question on everyone’s lips was, “Ni shi na gou ren (Where are you from)?”

The moment we said, “Wo shi Bajisitan ren (We are from Pakistan),” their response was: “Huanying lai dao Zhongguo, women shi feichang hao de pengyou (Welcome to China, we are very good friends).”

What we experienced was very different from what the international media says about China. Everyone including law enforcement officials were extremely supportive and helpful.

We wrapped up our tour with a newfound determination that this surely can’t be the end. We would really like to see all of China on two wheels one day.

We strongly encourage everyone reading this to come and experience firsthand the diverse culture, economic prowess and the irresistible charm of China and its people.

Have you travelled to places that are not commonly visited by tourists? Share your experience with us at blog@dawn.com