Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB

Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/)

- Ride Tales (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/)

- - China ADV Riding (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/china-adv-riding-71234)

From the cobblestone back alleys in Shaxi, Deqin and Shangrila (Zhongdian), the water gushing through narrow canyons in the Kawagarpo Mountain region, awesome backgrounds of mountain peaks covered in eternal snow and ice made it over to Lugu Lake.

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Lugu Lake ~ the forest lined lake overlaps the remote border between Yunnan – Sichuan provinces. The stunning scenery and ethnic cultures are two main features that attracts thousands of visitors each year to the area. A visit to the Lugu usually can be started from Luoshui. The lake, was formed by two sinking faults, and this high alpine lake sits 2,685m. Most people say it is shaped like a horse’s hoof – long from north to south, and narrower from East to West. The lake which is surrounded by hills is filled with inviting clear water, that makes it easy to see the fish swimming within. The forest that protects the lake if full of dense trees and fresh mountain.
Lugu Lake is a place that has not been disturbed by the other economic developments and pollution; its’ natural beauty has been retained somehow but heavy tourist developments under construction around the entire lake might change that very soon. The made the entire Lugu Lake area a national park with two main entrance gates (tickets). Can't recall paying anything for Lugu Lake area entrance during my last ride around during May 2004. Lugu Lake has an airport nearby opened during 2015 (October) and them tourist hordes are coming in quickly thats for sure....
Ninglang Luguhu Airport (NLH) is an airport serving Ninglang Yi Autonomous County and Lugu Lake (Luguhu), in northwestern Yunnan province, China. It is located in Shifoshan, Hongqiao Township, 25km from Lugu Lake and 50km from the Ninglang county seat, at an elevation of 3,293 metres Construction began in April 2013, and the airport, the 13th in Yunnan, was opened on 12 October 2015..

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Lugu Lake Yunnan + Sichuan

Lugu Lake is home to several Tibetan, Yi as well as Mosuo minority villages. The most numerous of these are the Mosuo people (also spelt "Moso"), said to be a sub clan of the Naxi people (as per Chinese records of Minorities in China) with ancient family structure considered as "a live fossil for researching the marital development history of Human beings" and "the last quaint Realm of Matriarchy." It is considered as the home of the Moso Tribe. However, Mosuo have a separate identity from the Naxis, as it is said that the Chinese used the word Mosuo as a generic term for different ethnic groups, including the Naxi.

Lugu Lake is called the "mother lake" by the Mosuo people.The lake is also well known in Chinese travel pamphlets as the region of “Amazons,” “The Kingdom of Women” and “Home of the Matriarchal Tribe”, this last name highlighting the dominant role of the Mosuo women in their society. The marriage rites of the Mosuo people are known as “azhu marriage” ceremony and this unique aspect of their social culture has given the title “exotic land of daughters” to the area. It is also known as "A Quaint Realm of Matriarchy". The matriarchal and matrilineal society of the Mosuos is also termed the “Women’s World". The Mosuo are the last practicing (almost) matriarchal society in the world. Mosuo women never marry and never cohabit, instead they are free to choose as many lovers as they like throughout their lives. Children are brought up by women, and use the surname of their mothers. Families are composed of the members of the matrilineal kind. Women hold the principal positions in the society, forming a modern day ‘woman’s kingdom’, which adds mystique to this magical place.

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Every great road ends one way or the other and while getting back to Shanghai, thought about my real last China group ride back in 2004 around Yunnan / Sichuan provinces.
Won't ever happen again, group rides that is ~ anywhere, as really prefer heading out alone, no questions coming from anyone and basically no real commitments ~ thats the full on freedom I am after.
If anyone tells me that it must be great being in the biking brotherhood, I tell them that it's comprises some of the most blinkered and ignorant people it has ever been my misfortune to encounter.... 'nuff said....

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Shanghai ~ Shaoshan (Hunan) - Guiyang (Guizhou) ~ Dali (Yunnan) - Shaxi (Yunnan) - Shangrila (Yunnan) ~ Deqin (Yunnan) ~ Lugu Lake (Yunnan / Sichuan) - Chengdu (Sichuan) - Wuhan (Hubei) - Shanghai

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Wait ~ hold on, last Yunnan Trail Ride 2016 comments as traveled extensively before in the particular area of China.
The whole region visited during the ride (Yunnan / Sichuan) has developed into several busy touristy commercial hubs. Some call it progress but personally feel historic places are being turned into full blown circus arenas and many historical sites being destroyed due to "rebuilds" and not preserved in traditional ways ~ thats just my personal opinion anyways.

Stay tuned as the TBR team has always something going motorbike related around the world, ride & rock on'....

MOONCAKE DAYS ~ HAPPY MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL 2016
Nothing beats a long relaxed spirited morning ride around Diashan Lake (Shanghai + Jiangsu) with a special modded and well set up DUCATI Multistrada 1200S Pikes Peak in my humble personal option.
You start the engine up and this fantastic roar starting to happen, you have to get the engine temperature up while putting the last pieces of gear on and once rollin' the MTS is just begging to be ridden hard and in anger taken to the red line in every single gear, anything I can ask of the machine, it can deliver in spades ~ absolute brilliant...'nuff said....

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Graffitis popping up recently all over and not talking about the chairman, the spray-on artworks covering the otherwise boring and dull concrete walls around construction sides....

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Mid-Autumn Festival and Mooncakes
The festival is intricately linked to legends of Chang E, the mythical Moon Goddess of Immortality. According to "Li-Ji", an ancient Chinese book recording customs and ceremonies, the Chinese Emperor should offer sacrifices to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. The 15th day of the 8th lunar month is the day called "Mid-Autumn". The night on the 15th of the 8th lunar month is also called "Night of the Moon". Under the Song Dynasty (420), the day was officially declared the Mid-Autumn Festival. Because of its central role in the Mid-Autumn festival, mooncakes remained popular even in recent years. For many, they form a central part of the Mid-Autumn festival experience such that it is now commonly known as 'Mooncake Festival'.

A mooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiujie). The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching, when mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four most important Chinese festivals.Typical mooncakes are round pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 3–4 cm thick. Traditional mooncakes, eaten in China, a rich thick filling usually made from red bean or lotus seed paste is surrounded by a thin (2–3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea. Today, it is customary for businessmen and families to present them to their clients or relatives as presents, helping to fuel a demand for high-end mooncake styles. The energy content of a mooncake is approximately 1,000 calories or 4,200 kilojoules (for a cake measuring 10cm), but energy content varies with filling and size. During recent years non-traditional mooncakes are available in China from Starbucks (Starbucks Espresso Mooncake, Starbucks Green Tea with Red Bean Mooncake, etc...) and Häagen-Dazs (various ice cream fillings)....

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KTM450EXC (2016) as the fun begins where the pavement ends, first street legal & legit special "China Compulsory Certificate" (COC) imported 450EXC registered in Mainland China was told during the complicated Shanghai (August 2016) registration and licensing process....

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It's a lean and mean streetable Hard Enduro / X-Country motorcycle, it's not supposed to be comfortable, quiet or safe. The wind noise is supposed to hurt your ears, the seat should be hard and riding it should make you almost crap your pants every now and then. Raw ~ basic without any electronic aids (ABS / TC), totally analog is exactly how I'd describe it. Angry, visceral, and beastly - even the idle sound demands respect... I bought it because it was one of my bucket list bikes before they launched the sophisticated EXC 17's range with traction control, mapping switch, Euro 4 regulations, etc...etc... I rode it a dozen times to get the suspension settings, etc.. etc.. spot on after swapping parts supplied to my specs - it's a "scary & lovely" beast and handles amazingly, exactly what I wanted and instantly connected with the bike, similar as with the Ducati MTS Pikes Peak back during November 2011.

So, in many regards I've eaten crow and I am also rethinking the big bikes again. I even catched myself reading through the Honda Africa Twin online bike forum threads from time to time until the dirt devil on my shoulder slapped me in the ear hole over and over again. With that, I circled back and realise just how good a 450EXC is and how I kind of hate riding on the highways / national roads anyway after all them decades in China. The KTM450EXC, with its full on off-road capabilities and easy maintenance (easiest machine I've ever worked on) is the cornerstone of my perfect garage. Well everyone loves pictures, here we go and some special modification as usual for the TBR team but its a never ending story anyways with improvements, testing and modifications ~ stay tuned...

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Few places are more fitting for a weekend break from the "big smoke" Shanghai than Le Passage Mohkan Shan, a hotel modelled after a French country home that sits half hidden in a valley surrounded by tea plantations and a bamboo forest. Founded by Frenchman Christophe Peres and his wife Pauline Lee in late 2012, Le Passage epitomises colonial chic. The hotel is a new build but it is sometimes hard to tell. The nostalgic decor and design harks back to Moganshan’s bygone days – when the area was a playground for the European jet set – with antique cement tiles, wooden flooring, chandeliers, and worn leather armchairs. Always tasty and yummy food available at Le Passage Mohkan Shan = http://www.lepassagemoganshan.com.cn

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Lepassage Moganshan operates the Relais Cafe' in Moganshan village among a few other food + beverage outlets dotted over the mountain region, great stop for fantastic home made ice cream...

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Insider Tip: craving for a great yummy burger and real thick awesome milk shakes while in the "Big Smoke" Shanghai, head to Al's Dinner in the former french concession... www.eatatalsdiner.com (owners + operators same as Le Passage Country Resort Moganshan / Zhejiang)

“Wheels & Waves” Winter 2016 ~ back for some "COC = Chill Out China" over in the tropics enjoying moto adventures around Hainan Island (South China), from the mountains through the rainforest onwards to beaches as we really enjoy exploring the remote corners of China, looking for the perfect trail as one never knows what the shadows might hide....

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LINGAO CAPE ~ feels somehow a little like Baja California and hanging around Coco's Corner enjoying some Mexican style snacks near the large concrete soldiers monument, snacks not made from scratch but got the break pretty well covered...

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Lingao is situated in the north-west of Hainan Island. Some quick runs along the beach rides with a different view during a stopover at the famous Lingao monument out at the Lingao Cape, a large stone monument for the Hainan Island Invasion Campaign. On April 10, 1950, the XC Corps high command launched an amphibious landing in two waves in northern Hainan. The first wave consisted of the main force, was aimed east and west, and included eight brigade-sized regiments: two from the 43rd Army and six from the 40th Army. They left the Leizhou Peninsula in three hundred fifty junks at 7.30 PM on April 16, 1950. The second wave consisted of five brigade-sized regiments of the communist 43rd Army. Units of the 40th Army that landed earlier and the 1st Division of the Qiongya Column would strike the Nationalist coastal defenses to the north of Lingao, while the 3rd Division of the Qiongya Column and units of the 43rd Army would strike the defenses in the Fortune Mountain (Fushan) region of Chengmai County to complement the landing forces in the east and west. The NRA did not detect the departure of the enemy forces until hours after the enemy fleets left port, which prevented their navy from intercepting the crossing PLA troops in time.

During the crossing, the escort fleet of the 40th Army discovered that the Nationalist 3rd Fleet, with the destroyer "Eternal Peace" (Taipinghao) as its flagship, was approaching the Communist landing forces from behind, in an attempt to intercept the fleet from behind. The escort fleet, consisting of armed junks, immediately took action and outflanked the pursuing flotilla. The NRA had gravely underestimated their enemy and did not expect the approaching junks to be armed, mistaking them for troop and cargo carriers. The Nationalist fleet attempted to capture them, which allowed the Communist junks to close the distance between them, at which point they fired their hidden mountain guns. Firing at close range and with the Nationalist ships unable to depress their guns low enough in time to fire back, the junks' gunners badly damaged the enemy flagship early during the engagement and forced it to retreat.

The remaining nationalist ships continued to fight, but their efforts were largely ineffective. Not only were they hindered by the loss of their flagship, in their haste to prepare for the defense of the island, they had also failed to change the ammunition of the warships. Most of the armor-piercing and semi armor-piercing ordinance, designed to be used against armored ships and fortified bunkers, failed to detonate when hitting the wooden junks and simply flew through them. Coupled with the fact that their guns could not be depressed low enough to hit the enemy ships at such close range, this rendered the nationalist navy's guns nearly useless throughout the engagement.

As a result, the PLA was able to advance on the island, and despite the fact that all of the armed junks and the rest of the escort fleet were badly damaged, none of the junks had actually been sunk. In contrast, the numerically superior mountain guns had inflicted considerable damage to the nationalist fleet.

Although the nationalists were unable to halt the communist transports, they could not back away, seeing as they were already behind the enemy landing forces. Leaving their position would leave the defenders on the beaches, who were being attacked on both sides, without fire support. They decided to stay and mingle with the enemy escort fleet, in an attempt to provide support against the landing troops, but were forced to withdraw after several hours of fierce and chaotic battle, during which two more warships were forced to retreat. As a last resort, they tried to sink the communist fleet holding the second wave of attack, but by that time, the bulk of the PLA forces had already landed.

Exploiting their enemy's dilemma to the fullest, the PLA kept intense pressure on the defenders at their beachhead. By 3.00 AM on April 17, 1950, the NRA defenders on both the eastern and western flanks of Cape Lingao collapsed under the combined pressure of the landing forces, the Qiongya Column and the units that had landed earlier. As more troops landed, a firm beachhead was established and advanced inland. Within the next two days, several regions, including Lingao, Fortune Mountain, Meitai and Jialai fell into communist hands.

Around 13,000 years ago, northern Hainan Island was the scene of extensive volcanic eruptions. The rich volcanic resources left by these eruptions gave the area its fertile soils, the strange shapes of its volcanic remnants, its lava caves, its valuable igneous rocks, and its abundant tropical ecology. This geologic event was critical in moulding the scenery and culture of the area today. Just to the south-west of Haikou City is a protected national geological and historical site several kilometers squared in size and a real busy "domestic tourist attraction".

The Hainan Volcanic Field is a 4,100 square kilometres volcanic field covering the northern half of Hainan, People's Republic of China. Although mostly Pleistocene-Holocene in age, minor eruptions have been recorded in the 19th and 20th centuries. The field is made up of 58 Pleistocene-Holocenetholeiitic cones. The two best preserved cones (Leihuling and Ma'anshan are on an East-West fracture line that contains 30 young cones in the Shishan and Yongzing regions. Historically, small fissure eruptions have been recorded from the Lingao and Chengmai areas.

There are several points of interest there outside the gated and fenced national park. The landscape is dotted with small volcanoes (hills), there are lava caves if one knows where to go, villages like Meishe / RongTan / Sishan that are built mostly from lava rock and scenic terraced tropical farmland.

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Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark, also known as Haikou Scenic-Shishan Volcano Cluster, Leiqiong Global Geopark, Haikou Crater Park, and Hainan Crater Park is a national park located approximately 15 km west of Haikou, Hainan, China. It is named for a crater, one of many extinct volcanoes on the island. The park has a total area of 118 square kilometres. It contains the two towns Shishan Town and Yongxing Town, and more than 40 Quaternary volcanoes. Part of the area is called Mount Maanling (Saddle) Crater Scenic Area. This area consists of the two major volcanoes, Mount Fengliung (furnace) and Mount Baoziling. Together they appear as a saddle, hence the name. Adjacent to these, there are another two volcanoes, one of which is called Mount Yanjinglin.

China AAAA tourist attraction, well ~ must stand for Absolutely Abandon All Assumptions as nothing special and seriously a waste of time and $$$'s for the entry tickets in my opinion....

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Amazing photos.
After living in China (Shandong) for 4 years, it never stops to thrill me with all the wonderful beautiful places.
When I tell my UK work colleagues about where we have been in China, and showed them a few pictures, they are totally enthralled, and could not believe just how beautiful China is.

Taishan

'vette

Quote:

Originally Posted by uk_vette (Post 558675)

Amazing photos.After living in China (Shandong) for 4 years, it never stops to thrill me with all the wonderful beautiful places.
When I tell my UK work colleagues about where we have been in China, and showed them a few pictures, they are totally enthralled, and could not believe just how beautiful China is. Taishan'vette

Thanks very much for the positive comments. As they say, talk is cheap ~ hear the stories constantly from the China "experts" for decades, easy as it's basically free - do your own ride report and show us the interesting places and spots around PRC (People's Republic of Changes) you have visited by motorbike, bring it on as China is really a fascinating and amazing country.....

Onwards to the Southern parts of Hainan Island, warmer and more pleasant climate this time of the year (December 2016)....

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Houhai Bay has a simple village just near the ferries to Wuzhizhou Island. You can relax in one of the simple pubs / bars on the beach, have a drink, listen to the local music or have a jam session at JahBar – a place where plenty of "hipsters" come from mainland China to have a break and an exhibition in a tropical atmosphere. In this southern village of China, there are only about 1500 people and the bay is 2 km long. Sandy beaches and clean warm water are a given. There are also some famous diving spots to visit if you fancy the underwater world. The most famous of the area is Wuzhizhou Island, but it’s now very commercial and crowded. Houhai has seen plenty of development. In fact, many surf houses, surf clubs, diving centers and restaurants have opened in the last two years. China Surf Report, a daily surf publication, is also based there. The village is located exactly in the middle of a promontory. You can enjoy the waves and the ocean on both sides. There is also a nice kitesurfing center in the Haitang Bay side. Its English name is “Perfect Ocean”....
Houhai Bay Surf Report & Forecast = http://magicseaweed.com/Houhai-Bay-Surf-Report/4044/

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Excellent "foodie" weekend as the Ritz-Carlton Sanya, Yalong Bay (Hainan Island / South China) hosted its second 'Nothing Ordinary' Food & Beverage Festival with eight international celebrity chefs presenting an extraordinary epicurean extravaganza for discerning diners and guests on China’s southern tropical island of Hainan from December 8 to 11, 2016.
Star chefs from the United States, France, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Costa Rica converged on the exclusive beachfront resort for one of the highlights of the holiday island’s gastronomic calendar.

The star-studded lineup included French-American chef Hubert Keller, renowned for restaurant Fleur by Hubert Keller in Las Vegas and recognized by Food and Wine magazine as one of the Ten Best Chefs in America; Charles Phan, the inventor of modern Vietnamese cuisine in America and owner of San Francisco’s Slanted Door family of restaurants; South Korean celebrity chef and ‘Cooking King Korea’ judge Edward Kwon; dessert artist Andres Lara, a veteran of two of the World’s Best Restaurants, El Bulli in Spain and Noma in Denmark; and multi-award winning Peter Van Es, a protégé of 3 Michelin-starred Michael Roux at the UK’s top restaurant, the world famous Waterside Inn, Bray.

Celebrated Ritz-Carlton chefs joined the cook-out, including Andrew Yeo, Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island; Xavier Salomon, Executive Chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco; and Andrés Jiménez, Executive Chef at The Ritz-Carlton Sanya, Yalong Bay.

The guest chefs began their adventure haggling for premium seafood, local ingredients and fresh fruit and vegetables for their recipes at Sanya #1 Market – and guests were able to register and join the tour to learn the tricks of selecting and bartering like a professional.
Highlights of the fine dining fiesta include a sizzling beachfront barbeque, complete with live DJ; a decadent afternoon tea paired with dessert and port wines by world famous dessert master Andres Lara; and wine-paired Tasting Dinners at both Italian restaurant Sofia and beachfront restaurant Sand.

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Further up the coast line, YANGPU Ancient Salt Field, has been a few years since my last visit = 19.740353 109.213715
The entire area around the salt field is developing and the ancient salt stones keep disappearing, we have been offered to take some ancient slate salt stones away for a small fee during our short visit...

The Yangpu Ancient Salt Field is (was) an archeological heritage site in Yantian village, on the Yangpu Peninsula in Hainan, China. The site is (was) an example of salt's various roles in Chinese history. The area comprises (had) more than 1,000 stones, cut flat on top, which are used to evaporate seawater to produce salt. The stones have a thin rim around the edge to contain the water. During high tide, the surface of the stones becomes filled with seawater. During low tide, this evaporates, leaving the salt, which is then collected.

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Qizi Bay, located near Changhua Town (Changjiang County / Hainan Island / China), extends for approx. 20k's from east to west. It is to the west of the Changhualing Mountain range and to the North of Changhua fishing port = 19.375151 108.689043

The bay has a wonderfully mild climate all year round that makes it an ideal remote and quite bathing resort along the western coast of Hainan till today, who knows in future years. There are many oddly shaped stones and reefs scattered along the shores and many craggy rocks protruding from the sea water. The local legend of the bay's origin is as follows as told by some natives: long, long ago, two immortals came down from the heavens and played a game of chess (Chinese chess, of course). They were so engaged in their game that they forgot to have lunch. The local villagers, after seeing this, brought out delicious foods to offer them. After they finished the game and the food, they attempted to thank the villagers in person, but the villagers were nowhere to be found. To show their gratitude, they threw all their chess pieces into the sea, which turned into reefs and stones thereby forever sheltering the village from winds and waves of the sea. Ever since then, the village has prospered and is famous for its scenic charm....

We could have taken our bikes for rides on the long sandy and rocky beach stretches but decided against it was just peaceful and stunning letting it all slowly sink in while enjoying our afternoon snack break, pictures don't do the bay justice in our opinion...

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With approx. 1823 kilometers of shoreline, Hainan is home to some of the most beautiful beaches and coastal scenery in China. Along its seemingly endless sandy beaches and coastline are several breathtaking bays as of today, lets see what the future brings with all the new developments and construction in the planning stages. Many of Hainan Island’s most popular beaches can be explored along the eastern shores but for travelers eager to explore the less popular but also truly beautiful western region, there are plenty of fantastic beaches with spectacular views to discover.

VOLCANIC COAST NORTH-WEST HAINAN ISLAND around the greater region of Danzhou town, a prefecture-level town in the northwest of the Chinese island province of Hainan. Although called a "city / town", Danzhou administers a large area which was called Dan County or Danxian until 1993. The administrative seat and urban center of Danzhou is Nada Town, which is often colloquially referred to as Danzhou city. Danzhou was upgraded from a county-level city into a prefecture-level city in February 2015.

Basically the extended region around Eman Volcanic Coast is where most of Hainan's interesting volcanic formations are located. The bizarre rocks, sea cliffs and pillar-shaped structures along the whinstone coast cliffs, combined with strong waves, offer spectacular scenery. Fossil corals are widespread on the coast of northwestern Hainan Island, China. Most of these corals are exposed during low tide levels, indicating that a higher sea level may have existed during their life time. The radiocarbon data introduced by this paper in combination with those from other sources show that the corals were alive mainly during the mid- to late-Holocene. Mid-Holocene sea levels 1–3m higher than the present level were confirmed for adjacent coasts; however, the emerged corals on the investigated coast are not necessarily indicators of a higher eustatic sea level. They do predict relative sea levels of 1.5–3.4m when using 1m below the tidal datum as the upper limit of coral growth. However, using the Mean Lower Low Water as the coral’s upper growth limit, the relative sea level on the non-volcanic coast was almost as high as the present level, whereas that on the volcanic coast was 0.4–2.0m higher than present. Therefore, the exposure of these dead coral heads and their discrepancy in elevation may be the result of tectonic uplift caused by volcanic activities. From these results, the highest sea level of upward coral growth must be defined first when using fossil corals to reconstruct past sea levels. Meanwhile, vertical tectonics have to be taken into account as a significant factor when conducting high-resolution sea level reconstruction, although the South China coast is located in a “tectonically stable” region.

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Wuzhishan mountain ranges riding loop ~ having a sweet Xmas season snack at the impressive revolutionary monument has become a tradition during the last few years....
The monument is located in the mountains besides S313 Provincial Road / GPS: 18°55'46.6"N 109°28'13.5"E
The Wuzhishan Mountain is located at the center of Hainan Island, with the title of the highest mountain in Hainan Island makes it one of the symbol of Hainan and also one of the famous mountains in China.

Wuzhishan (Five Finger Mountain) was the center of Hainan Island for a long time, not only in a geographical sense. In 1949, the first Communist party base was set up in Wuzhishan with Wang Guo Xing as the leader of the Li people and as the general director of the Party on Hainan. In 1955, the first local government of Hainan Island was set up and Wuzhishan became the capital of Hainan Island. The capital moved to Haikou in 1988 when Hainan Island was part of Guangdong Province, not directly under the control of Central Government. In 1988, the Central Government set up the largest special economic zone at the time. It was Hainan Island with Haikou as its capital, then coming under the direct control of the Central Government, thus becoming a separate Province of the People’s Republic of China. Before 2001, this place was called Tongza which in local Li Language means “Rice field on the top of a mountain surrounded by rainforest .” The Li Language expressed the location of the community well. In 2001, the local government changed the name from Tongza to Wuzhishan Hainan (Hainan Five Finger Mountain).....

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Holiday Beach (officially Holiday Beachside Resort) is a well known beach and visitor attraction located along Binhai Road, Haikou, Hainan Island (China) = http://wikitravel.org/en/Haikou
The 7-kilometre-long, 33 hectare beach area was officially established in 1995. Since then, it has undergone development with the establishment of visitor attractions such as restaurants, swimming pools, an outdoor roller skating rink, and an amphitheatre. The land beside the beach has been landscaped and pathways created. The entire shoreline is maintained by workers who remove rubbish. Holiday beach is a popular destination for tourists. It is known by residents of Haikou as a place to eat "Chuanr" ( famous BBQ sticks) at night. The beach has also been the site of major competitions for such sports as kitesurfing and volleyball.

Last relaxed island afternoon ride along Holiday Beach (Haikou) and snack break watching the surfers and other water sports activities going on = http://kitesurfchina.com

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Done and dusted, another exciting winter run on Hainan Island / South China completed....

Hainan is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China, consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. Hainan Island, separated from Guangdong's Leizhou Peninsula by the Qiongzhou Strait, is the largest island under PRC control (Taiwan, which is slightly larger, is also claimed but not controlled by the PRC) and makes up the majority of the province. The province has an area of 33,920 square kilometers, with Hainan Island making up 32,900 square kilometers (97%) and the rest divided among two hundred islands scattered across three archipelagos. It was administered as part of Guangdong until 1988, when it became a separate province; around the same time, it was made the largest Special Economic Zone established by Deng Xiaoping as part of the Opening Up of China. There are a total of ten major cities and ten counties in Hainan Province. Haikou on the northern coast of Hainan Island is the capital while Sanya is a well-known tourist destination on the southern coast. The other major cities are Wenchang, Qionghai, Wanning, Wuzhishan, Dongfang, and Danzhou. China's controversial claims in the South China Sea, including the Nansha and Xisha Islands, are notionally administered as part of the province.....

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China is rapidly changing in many forms and various ways, quite a lot of "remodelling" and construction going on all around the country as mention elsewhere before in this thread. Well ~ having the great privilege to ride totally legally, fully licensed and freely (except Tibet / TAR) around the fascinating and diverse country puts a smile on my face and shall continue doing my PRC rounds as long as I have a home-base in the country and with the proper set up and right bikes at hand should be some very interesting riding. China ride reporting might be continued in the future...

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Seriously fried the Kawasaki KLX150 "Backyard Basher" clutch while riding in deep wet sand around the Hainan Island bays during the Winter Island Run and we got a Yamaha YBR125 as temporary replacement to trash around the island.
"Backyard Basher" all fixed during CNY (Chinese New Year) back at home-base Shanghai with new upgraded parts and some modifications like drilling the clutch basket for better lubrication and installing Honda clutch plates (wider / thicker) and Kawasaki KX85 clutch springs (stiffer) ~ clutch feels great and ready to roll again....

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Tea Run April 2017, just some simple shots taken around the mountains right after the long weekend national China holiday known as the Qingming or Ching Ming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day in English), is a traditional Chinese festival on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. This makes it the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, either 4 or 5 April in a given year. Other common translations include Chinese Memorial Day and Ancestors' Day. Qingming Festival is when Chinese people visit the columbaria, graves or burial grounds to pray to their ancestors.

The Qingming Festival is an opportunity for celebrants to remember and honour their ancestors at grave sites. Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, joss paper, and/or libations to the ancestors. The rites have a long tradition in Asia, especially among farmers. Some people carry willow branches with them on Qingming or put willow branches on their gates and/or front doors. They believe that willow branches help ward off the evil spirit that wanders on Qingming.

On Qingming, people go on family outings, start the spring plowing, sing, and dance. Qingming is also a time when young couples traditionally start courting. Another popular thing to do is to fly kites in the shapes of animals or characters from Chinese opera. Another common practice is to carry flowers instead of burning paper, incense, or firecrackers.

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Tea has huge symbolic and cultural significance in China, while its centuries of history in the hills of Mokhan Shan comes riddled with intrigue. Notable is a cunning act of bio-piracy in 1848 when England’s East India Company dispatched Scottish plant collector Robert Fortune to collect the finest varieties of tea to break China’s monopoly of the market. To gain easier access to China’s interior he shaved his head, leaving just a ponytail, and wore Chinese clothes. He travelled to the plantations near Mokhan Shan, collected plants and seeds and set up nurseries in Shanghai. In the end, Fortune dispatched more than 20,000 tea plants to India, a country that 40 years later was supplying 90 percent of Britain’s domestic market. Today varieties including Mogan Yellow Bud and Ming Qian Long Jing are picked on site at by women from the local community during the short harvest season that lasts from the end of March to early May.

The Qingming festival holiday has a significance in the Chinese tea culture as well since this specific day divides the fresh green teas by their picking dates. Green teas made from leaves picked before this date are given the prestigious 'pre-qingming’ designation which commands a much higher price tag. These teas are prized for having much lighter and subtler aromas than those picked after the festival.

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Tea Run April 2017, tried and tasted some fresh bamboo shoots yet???

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Fresh Bamboo Shoots - How to Prepare (makes enough bamboo shoot for one stir fry)

Ingredients:

2 fresh bamboo shoots
1 tbsp sugar
6 cups water reserved from rinsing rice (or just plain water is fine too)

Directions: Wash the dirt off the bamboo shoots. Using a sharp knife, slice through the outer leaves along one side all the way from tip to the bottom of the shoot. Use your finger tips to pry open along the cut you have just made. Once pried open stick your fingers in and around the outer skin and pull away from the creamy white shoot inside. You should be able to remove the whole outer skin. Check the now peeled shoot to see if top layer tender. If not soft and tender, remove layers until tender. Shave off any knobby fibrous bits around the stem. Cut off around an inch of the tough end of the stem until you reach the tender part of the shoot. No woody fibrous bits should remain.
Reserve the water used for rinsing your rice until you have enough to cover the bamboo shoots by a good inch in a pot. Or you can also just use plain water. When water is boiling add in the sugar and the peeled bamboo shoots. Let simmer over medium heat for 30 mins. It is ready when a knife goes through with no resistance and there is no more bitterness. If still bitter change the water and let boil for another 5-10 minutes. Let cool in the covered pot. When cool enough, slice first in half lengthwise, then into 1/4" thick slices at an diagonal, or into 1/4" by 3" strips
The bamboo is now prepared! You can eat it as is, cool it in the fridge and make a nice salad, or add it into some delicious Chinese stir fries!

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Lost in Zhejiang “High Country"
Not really as quite in the know where I am at any given time. We always hang out around Moganshan (Zhejiang) for decades and this time around went back over to the Simingshan region in Zhejiang province of Peoples Republic of China scouting some new trail and enduro routes for the future. Reminds and feels a bit like riding the Aussie Victoria “High Country”…

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Located on the coast of the East China Sea in the southeast of the country, Zhejiang province borders with Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi and Fujian. It is the province with the most islands in the country, with 2,000 islands off its coast. Its southwest is high in altitude while the northeast is low. And its vast waters form the large offshore fishing ground of Zhejiang province. Being a province with a lot of ancient cities and towns, Zhejiang is endowed with abundant cultural and historical heritages. It is in this very place that the traditional Chinese culture is well-preserved. Visitors have the chance to experience the ancient life of Chinese people when travelling around Zhejiang province.

Lying between Ningbo (Zhejiang) and Shaoxing (Zhejiang), Siming Mountains are stretching from Yuyao in the north to Shengzhou in the south. The mountains rise to a height of 400-900 meters above sea level, with Jinzhong Mountain at the extreme southeast corner of the ridge being the highest peak at 1018 meters. As rainfall is abundant, the natural scenery here is green and the deep gorges hide fast flowing rivers and streams, dotted with waterfalls and natural pools.

During the summer, the temperature in Siming Mountains is significantly lower than in the blazing plains below, which makes the area a great cooling respite. At the height of winter, if you’re lucky, you will even be able to see the unique phenomenon of rime trees, where vapor rising from the rivers freezes on the bare tree brances, a very rare sight in China’s south.

Siming ridge is brimming with natural reserves, lakes, waterfalls and ancient mountain villages. The area also bears significance in Chinese revolutionary history, as many Communist Party branches were established in the villages here during the war against Japan and the civil war.

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Tea processing is the method in which the leaves from the tea plant Camellia sinensis are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing tea.The categories of tea are distinguished by the processing they undergo. In its most general form, tea processing involves different manners and degree of oxidation of the leaves, stopping the oxidation, forming the tea and drying it.The innate flavour of the dried tea leaves is determined by the type of cultivar of the tea bush, the quality of the plucked tea leaves, and the manner and quality of the production processing they undergo. After processing, a tea may be blended with other teas or mixed with flavourants to alter the flavour of the final tea.

Leaf teas are processed either by roasting or steaming. Roasted tea are also called pan-fried tea.[1] Generally, roasted varieties are richer in flavor, while steamed varieties are more vivid in color. The ancient Chinese society first encountered the tea plant in what is now southern China and processed it as another medicinal herb for use in Chinese herbology. The processing technique used to process fresh tea leaves was to immediately steam the fresh tea leaves and dry them for preservation, which is likely the most ancient Chinese form of tea leaf processing. This processing method was perfected near the end of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) and produced a dried tea that would be classified today as "green tea" and quite similar to modern Japanese sencha. For consumption, dried tea leaves were either decocted with water around with other herbs, or ground into a powder to be taken straight or in a liquid.

With the increase of tea's use in Chinese herbology, production methods changed, where the processed green tea leaves were not immediately dried after steaming. Rather the steamed tea leaves were first pulverized into a paste form, with the paste then formed in moulds and slowly dried into brick tea, a technique well described by Lu Yu in his work The Classic of Tea. Tender leaves and leaf buds were generally not used, as older mature tea leaves were preferred for tea production. Some tea bricks were also produced from mature whole leaves, which typically required the use of a cooked rice slurry to bind the tea brick together. The preference of producing tea in brick form possibly stems from the fact that it can be more easily transported and stored.

Green tea drying is done to "finish" the tea for sale. This can be done in a myriad of ways including panning, sunning, air drying, or baking. Baking is usually the most common. Great care must be taken to not over-cook the leaves. The drying of the produced tea is responsible for many new flavour compounds particularly important in green teas.

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Dongqian Lake is a lake lying in the southeast of Yinzhou District, Ningbo in the Zhejiang province of eastern China. It is the largest natural freshwater lake in Zhejiang province with a water surface area of approx. 20 square kilometers. Since ancient times the Lake has been a famous scenic spot in Eastern Zhejiang province.

Dongqian Lake is an increasingly popular destination for residents of Ningbo (it’s around a 45- minute drive out of the city centre), but the expressway links to the city from Shanghai mean that it’s also a convenient weekend break from here. Although tourist developments are expanding to serve this trade, the lake remains largely untroubled by the sort of crowds who swarm around, say, Hangzhou’s West Lake and the out of town location gives it a far more relaxing air.

Dongqian actually consists of three lakes, with the North Lake the pick of these. Small villages, temples and even a Song dynasty sculpture park are nestled between mountains and the lake’s shores.
A quiet road runs the circumference, making it ideal for a run or bike ride.

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Also known as Duanwujie, Dragon Boat Festival is a holiday of eating sticky rice dumplings, drinking realgar wine (a mix of huangjiu and regular minerals) and racing (or watching) dragon-shaped boats. This year the holiday period in Mainland China = Sunday 28 to Tuesday 30 May, with Double Fifth day itself falling on the Tuesday.

Now celebrated worldwide, Dragon Boat Festival’s humble origins date back to southern China over 2,000 years ago. As with all great legends, the facts are largely contested, vary from region to region and come heavily embellished. One of the best-known stories holds that Dragon Boat Festival commemorates celebrated poet and minister, Qu Yuan (343-278 BC).

The story goes that Qu was betrayed by officials, accused of treason and exiled from the kingdom. After wiling away years in exile, Qu threw himself in a river as a form of protest against the corruption of the time. Upon hearing the tragic news, villagers loyal to Qu went in search of his body, splashing their paddles, banging drums and throwing sticky rice balls into the water in an attempt to keep the fish well away from his body. Hence today, Dragon Boat Races and the rice-heavy snack Zongzi.

Eating Zongzi is one of the customs during the annual Dragon Boat Festival. The pyramid-shaped sticky rice parcels wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves are tasty enough without any fillings, but one can add sweetened bean paste, fresh meat or egg yolk.

If heading to the actual race events and squeezing in with everyone else is too much work, celebrate the festival by eating the iconic Zongzi. Like mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival (but tastier and not re-gifted as often), this is the traditional snack for Dragon Boat Festival.

While countless regional variations exist, the foundation of these 'sticky rice dumplings' is glutinous rice packed around a savory or sweet filling like pork belly or red bean, then wrapped with bamboo leaves. Though available all-year-round, in the weeks leading up to the festival you'll see an increase in street stall steamers full of the pyramid-shaped treat. Stacks of them (Zongzi) at any water town around the greater Shanghai region.

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Traditional Dragon Boat Racing during Duanwujie ~ what's on the Dragon Boat for the racing?

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Dragon’s Head
The auspicious dragon. Dragons are obviously popular in Chinese culture, and understandably so: they’re symbolic of power and strength and they’re masters of the water – as well as just about everything else. In dragon boat racing, the dragon’s head is more of a ceremonial adornment, added for festivals. Before the race begins, the dragon’s eyes are dotted with lucky red paint, to symbolise the dragon coming to life.

Drummer
A key player in the race, the drummer is essentially the pulse, riding in prime position at the front of the boat. He or she overlooks the paddlers and maintains a steady drumbeat to help paddlers keep the pace and stay in sync.

Paddlers
Depending on the size of the boat, the crew is usually made up of ten to 20 paddlers, sitting in two rows, paddling in unison to propel the boat through the water under the watchful eyes of the steersperson and drummer. Not to be confused with rowers, paddlers face forwards and use paddles, not oars, obviously. Paddlers at the front of the boat set the pace, while paddlers at the back are used for strength to keep the speed up, especially in faster waters. And paddlers wouldn't be much without...

Paddles
Some people say that the paddles are symbolic of the dragon’s claws, wading through the water. Different from oars, paddles are not connected to the boat in any way and are in total control of the paddler.

Steersperson
No surprises here, the steersperson is in charge of steering during the course of the race, using the sweep oar. As the only one who can really see what’s going on outside the boat, it’s also the job of the steersperson to alert the crew to any signs of danger or potential collisions. So no pressure or anything.

Dragon Boat Racing, if you’re looking to get in on the action yourself while around Shanghai (China), the Shanglong Dragonboat Club (Shanghai) welcomes newcomers and paddlers of any background throughout the year.
http://www.dragonboatsh.org

Skipped the national Dragonboat Festival holiday crowds and went trail riding and "green-laning" around a few Shanghai region watertowns...

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Battle of the Water Towns around the greater Shanghai region...

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Wuzhen ~ What’s it like? Split into two sections – east and west – Wuzhen is undeniably pretty, but it’s also one of the most commercial and tourist-filled towns on this list. The west area is supposedly best at night when the lights come on, though in the day time it’s just as picturesque. The east part, meanwhile, features a smallish park and regular kung fu performances from several retired gentlemen atop a boat. Both areas are based around one long stretch of canal, each with narrow lanes either side. The town is most famous for being the former home of Chinese literary great Mao Dun.
Manageable on weekdays, Wuzhen is incredibly claustrophobic at peak times. Limited to the two sections, tourists are funneled down into the same main streets with few chances of escape. A free open air cinema screening old black-and-white Chinese films on a wall in the west area (9-11pm, daily) provides some rare respite, but generally it’s hellish at weekends. Wuzhen’s beauty is also its downfall, causing steep entrance prices and overwhelming tourist crowds. Although it’s bearable on weekdays, at weekends the frustration of fighting through the tourists makes it hard to justify a trip.

Qibao ~ What’s it like? When it comes to water towns nearest to Shanghai, it’s hard to beat Qibao for convenience, located as it is on metro line 9, though this is probably its only real advantage. With just a couple of small old streets left and a serviceable canal area that runs for a mere block, Qibao doesn’t boast as many photo opportunities as places such as Zhouzhuang or Wuzhen, but there is a pleasant temple and a tiny shadow puppet theatre that are worth visiting.
Given the lack of options for wandering, avoiding the crowds at Qibao is tricky. Come on a weekday, though, and you’ll find it manageable. Qibao is fine for an hour or two, but it’s not the most authentic water town experience around.

Zhouzhuang ~ What’s it like? Zhouzhuang is one of the country’s oldest water towns and, according to posters plastered throughout the streets, sees itself as ‘China’s number one water town’. Unfortunately, so do the tourist groups, meaning it’s one of the busiest water towns in the region. It’s a shame, as Zhouzhuang is certainly one of the prettier sites in the area, and one of the larger ones too, though there’s little to see off the main T-junction of waterways at the town’s centre. Various Qing and Ming dynasty residences are dotted around the town, though the real beauty of Zhouzhuang is in the dozen or so stone bridges that cross the water (provided they’re not packed with tourists). Even on weekdays, Zhouzhuang gets busy, with few places to escape the hordes herded down the main streets by flag and megaphone-wielding guides. The 900-year-old Taoist Chengxu Temple provides one of the few spots for respite, though even this can become crowded at peak times. It’s pretty, but the tourist crowds and commercialism are relentless, even on a weekday

Xitang ~ What’s it like? Xitang is one of the more attractive water towns in the region, presumably the reason Tom Cruise and co chose to film the roof-hopping scene toward the end of Mission Impossible III here, but that also means tourists flock to it. Other than photos of Cruise with smiling locals dotted in various restaurants, and a big picture of him looking all action hero-like beside a stone bridge, there are thankfully few references to the film. Nine rivers criss-cross the town, with regular stone arch bridges and narrow lanes either side of the waterways, which are prettier than most. Busy on weekdays, Xitang is overrun at weekends – megaphones and matching caps abound. Undeniably picturesque in terms of its layout and architecture, Xitang is another water town that has become a tourist trap, meaning that taking in the beautiful scenery is usually punctured by someone elbowing you out the way to get to the stinky tofu stand.

Tongli ~ What’s it like? Tongli is one of the smaller water towns, centering on a main junction of canals and arched bridges, but it has some unique attractions that make it worth a visit. Waterside cafes, tree-lined streets and a boat of cormorants kept for the tourists mean that it’s a photogenic place – but one of the main motivations for visiting Tongli, and what made it stand out from the myriad water towns surrounding Shanghai, was the only China Sex Museum (closed during 2015 ~ yet to reopen somewhere).
On weekdays, Tongli is pleasantly empty. Weekends naturally see larger crowds, but generally the pace is slower here than in other water towns. The traditional scenic part of Tongli is relatively small, yet it doesn’t feel as bustling as other water towns.

Zhujiajiao ~ What’s it like? Zhujiajiao’s mix of bridges, canals, wood-panelled buildings and narrow lanes is fairly standard, but it’s nonetheless attractive. The Qingpu town has an appealing combination of accessibility and places to escape the crowds. The town is centred on a large main canal where you’ll find the longest of its numerous bridges, Fangsheng Bridge, which is also known as ‘setting fish free bridge’ – for a few kuai you can buy a goldfish to release into the water (they’re fished out again a little way downstream and resold).
Zhujiajiao’s accessibility from Shanghai means that it’s a tourist favourite, but in its favour the town offers more escapes from the crowds than the average water town. The whole town is worth exploring, with numerous side streets to avoid the tourists, and a number of kooky cafes to hide in. If you decide to stay for the evening, open air Kunqu opera performances and classical music shows taking place every summer. It may not be as spectacular as some neighbouring water towns, but the mix of accessibility, no entrance ticket and cool cafes to escape the hordes mean that Zhujiajiao is still a worthy day trip.

Nanxun ~ What’s it like? Although much of Nanxun itself is a grimy industrial town, and some of the water town area has succumbed to the tourist tat virus, large parts of it are green, peaceful and filled with locals relaxing (and not trying to sell you anything). The best part of the water town area is the south-west, where you can escape the crowds on even the busiest days and find trees arching over the peaceful water – we like the tranquil Little Lotus Garden, a grand former residential house with a small lake at the back, and the Jiayetang Library, home to a large collection of ancient tomes and tree-covered grounds, where locals sip tea and play cards beside the water.
Nanxun is absent from the main tourist trails, making it pleasantly light on megaphones and matching baseball caps. You’ll still see the odd tourist group, particularly in the southern part of town and at weekends, but it’s a far cry from tourist traps such as Wuzhen. With charmingly rustic residential streets and relatively few tourist trappings, Nanxun is our new favourite water town. Just get there before everyone else does.

***various watertown pictures below in no particular order***

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Working on one's bike is also the gift that keeps on giving, there are many zen-like moments to be had just focusing on a bike repair, modification or just some maintenance ~ ~ few personal tips and tricks below...

KTM450EXC, got it all sorted now for long distance touring with the installation of the Acerbis 3.2gal. tank, Akrapovic Titanium slip-on muffler (remap), Clake SLR and a Globetrottin' luggage rack.

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Looked at the cheap universal MIC = Made In China fuel tank sock filters (not impressed on material and most probably fitment issues), got some KTM-EXC (2016) fuel tank sock filters by Profill - Australia.

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Couple of month ago installed the Clake SLR (hand & foot dual rear brake control), after extensive testing, brilliant setup going around the asphalt twisties and during offroading ~ right turns are great fun now as foot stays in position on foot peg or easily extended for the "slide" or real technical sections...

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Love doing my own bike work and maintenance, DRC wheel balancing and truing stand (Gyro Stand), works brilliant and easy as for maintenance with the earlier mention spoke torque wrench by Warp9....

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Having a few sets of reusable spoke weights on standby if needed but fine for now...

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Well ~ gone but not forgotten as the mighty Ducati MTS-PP 2012 was sold just recently, herewith in loving memory, the earlier "For Sale" notice...

The perfectly modified BMW-F8GS (Shanghai) was sold November 2016 and have made the ultimate betrayal ~ got some different reliable European bike brand for the first time! The white & blue BMW guys everywhere were cursing my name as I drank and enjoyed the orange cool-aid.... So far, I've found that just about everything anyone ever said was true about the other European branded bikes but thats another story for a different day and time. Now ~ quite sure, the worldwide loyal Ducati community will complain and moan heavily....

Italian Mistress ~ smoking hot and healthy but she's just too much for me nowadays. Every time I get on her, she's left wanting more than I am willing to give her due to other important commitments. Athletic, sexy and beautiful, she deserves someone that will treat her right and ride her hard the way her proud Italian creators always wanted.....

Different plans and directions come around in everyone's life cycle and might be rattling the cage once again as not offering a cheap as chips MIC = Made In China motorbike with dodgy rego & plates or the so called public license plates, but what the heck, here we go as a true enthusiast and serious rider might be just out there looking for the perfect Mainland China stress reliever. Absolutely not pressed on time, as not selling the MTS for the Shanghai "A" plate allocation (few legal Shanghai plates from the gone but not forgotten golden days in my possession). Herewith putting the word out on a very special all inclusive "Ready to Rock n' Roll" Ducati package deal available in Shanghai (PRC), motorbike alone around approx. xxxxxxx RMB.

There are faster bikes for sure, but the Ducati Multistrada 1200S Pikes Peak is a very special bike. The ride experience is pretty unique ~ like a super motard bike on steroids with an upright dirt bike stance. Well ~ no longer need to stop for coffee in the mornings as you will arrive at the office sufficiently stimulated.

DUCATI Multistrada 1200S Pikes Peak (2012) Limited Edition
Shanghai / China, purchase date = 11/11/11 by the seller (owner) and this particular bike is the first ever MTS-PP in Mainland China imported through Ducati China (Shanghai).
Approx. 43000km (all maintenance, installations and frequently serviced by Ducati Shanghai ~ not some chain smoking & spitting, dodgy tree shade + back alley mechanics)
Fully transferable legal Shanghai "A" private registration & license plate, either sold with plate "market price" of the day or without the registration / license plate (Shanghai"A" rego & plate going approx. XXXK RMB nowadays)

-Termignoni Full Titanium / Stainless Steel Exhaust with Racing ECU by Ducati
-Stainless Steel Exhaust / Muffler Hanger (custom)
-Ohlins Suspension ECU (limited release suspension upgrade)
-R&G Racing Tail Tidy
-Custom LED Tail Light (integrated rear indicators)
-Barkbusters Handguards (alloy / black)
-Brembo 2-pot CNC Caliper (rear)
-Hardware (every nut / bolt / screw possible replaced with titanium hardware from Pro-Bolt UK / Podium Racing USA)
-Altrider Luggage Rack (rear / black)
-Altrider Crashbars with sliders
-Rizoma Rear Axle Slider
-SpeedyMotoFront Axle Slider
-Altrider Header Guard (black)
-Altrider Cylinder Head Guard (black)
-Evotech Radiator Guard (black)

Spare Parts available and for sale (not included with the bike pricing listed above as complete separate deal to be negotiated)
-Marchesini Wheel Set (Front + Rear / 10 Spoke / Forged Alloy / Black / brand-new boxed) fit various Ducati bikes (single sided swingarm)
-Termignoni Full Titanium / Stainless Steel Exhaust System (brand-new complete system with UpMap USB Stick MTS 2013 up)
-Exhaust Custom Hanger Bracket (stainless steel)
-Evotech Cylinder Head Guard (brand-new / black)
-Evotech Header Guard (brand-new / black)
-Altrider Header Guard (two guards)
-Brembo Clutch Lever (spare hand lever / black)
-Brembo Brake Lever (spare hand lever / black)
-Fairing Monting Hardware (ProBolt UK / black)
-Rear Tyre 2x (Scorpion Trail one tyre / Scorpion Trail 2 one tyre)
-Front Tyre 2x (Scorpion Trail one tyre / Scorpion Trail 2 one tyre)
-Fairing Kit Pikes Peak (brand-new with decals / carbon fibre)
-Fender (rear / short / carbon / brand-new)
-Hugger (rear / carbon / brand-new)
-Carbon Beak Set (left / right)
-MTS Pikes Peak Decal Kit (complete / brand-new)
-Belly Pan Set (black / left-right-centre)
-Airfilter (brand-new)
-Spark Plugs (brand-new)
-Brake Pads (brand-new / various brands)
-EMS Duc Shim Kit (complete 4-valve Ducati set for valve / desmo shim service)
-R+G Racing Tail Tidy Kit (brand-new)
-Custom LED Taillight (brand-new)
-Drive Chain (2x / brand-new)
-Sprocket / Ergal (42t rear)
-Cyclops LED Headlight Bulbs (three bulbs / brand-new)
-Sidestand Switch (brand-new)
-Brake Light Switch (rear / brand-new)
-Altrider Crashbars Sliders (brand-new / black)
-Ducati Paddock Stands Front / Rear (red)
-Ducati MTS Indoor Storage Cover (cotton)

All original OEM parts like complete exhaust, ECU, rear hugger fender, Brembo rear brake caliper, etc..etc.. available (not included with the bike pricing listed above as complete separate deal to be negotiated) ***quite sure, forget some available spare parts but will take full inventory if any real serious buyer***

>>>Very important fine print concerning the bike sales procedures<<<
MTS will be on display later on at a premium Shanghai motorcycle dealership, will advise once available for public viewing but dream on and get wet undies about free joy test rides. Thanks very much for all the incoming comments and emails up front, as quite sure will read some rather strange comments & inquiries once again incl. abusive hate mails, lengthy monthly payment plans / trade-in suggestions (sorry, really in no need of some dodgy cheap MIC = Made In China motorbike). Furthermore, absolute no interest in renting out the Ducati MTS-PP for a lovely motherland tour or exhilarating weekend sprint. On another note, the MTS-PP will not be sold with the plate + registration (Shanghai "A") under the owners name for a cruise around the lovely motherland called China. You need to either find a person willing to register the bike (Chinese = PRC ID Card / Foreigner = Passport with the right class of visa and additional supporting documents) or purchase the Ducati MTS-PP without the Shanghai plate / registration.

I am not a subscriber to any social media as my time is very valuable, can't be bothered looking at or answer annoying incoming electronic messages all day long, leaving that to the hipsters and attention seekers... Email contact = mtsppxxxx@gmail.com and once sold and paid for in full, the email address will be taken out of service.

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Hot, sometimes cold and dusty sandy with a chance of thunderstorms incl. hail around the higher located mountain regions.... Well ~ I don't know how to describe the senses and smells one would encounter on a multi week road-trip through China starting at our Shanghai home-base and ending in Shanghai again. Let's give it a go and tell another China story with simple pictures to back it all up...
The elements we encountered varied as we reached some of the high mountain ranges and some of the drier points around China during the annoying hot & humid rainy season (Plum Rains) that hits greater Shanghai region annually during the summer months (July / August)....

Went light ~ went fast ~ went far for YAKATTACK 2017 as “I Can’t Afford Not to Go” with my best riding mate ~ Made a decision to give the Amdo Tibet region another go during the 2017 Summer, after such an exceptional experience during 2015 and this is one of many visit to the Labrang (Gansu) region over almost three decades riding in China. It wasn't just the fact it was Amdo Tibet, but that combined with the character of the bikes, coupled with the terrain we were traversing fulfilled a desire in me that, other than those nagging feelings of something missing, I didn't realise I had... There's one thing that keeps me coming back to the Tibetan Plateau and that's the desire to see all these places, the culture and people who are more often than not desperately poor, yet in practically every case happy, extremely generous and incredibly welcoming - and that's what's opened our eyes once again....

Only this time we are in the Gansu province of China, part of which is formed by the traditional Tibetan region of Amdo. The journey from Lanzhou to Xiahe goes up, one can take the road partially along the mighty Yellow River. Up along the route we pass the terraced potato fields of a narrow valley, leaving the concrete blocks of the Gansu capital (Lanzhou) behind for village houses roofed in black tiles. The river that runs through it is watched over by golden-domed mosques, one for each hamlet. As we get closer to Xiahe, the mosques are replaced by golden-tipped stupas, Tibetan chortens, representing major events in Buddha’s life.

Few simple impressions taken along the mighty Yellow River on the way up to Labrang Monastery (Xiahe) with a slight detour detour due to extensive roadworks via Rebkong (Qinghai) region.....

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It smells like Tibet, of yak butter melting in candle flames, pine branches and juniper smoking & smouldering through layers of heated stones around fire pits. The very familiar scent jolts me back to my extensive travels around the TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region) over the past three decades, a combination of ingredients that is uniquely Tibetan. Prayer beads, coral necklaces, small and large, sombre and bright, adorn the wrists and necks of passersby. Colourful sashes, hot pink, burgundy and violet hold up their bulky draped cloaks, extra long sleeves protect against the cold and double duty as wrap-arounds or scarves. Cheeks are red from the wind, foreheads brown and weathered from the sun. It is cold during the nights and bright sunshine during the day, well ~ feels like Tibet....

Labrang ~ one of the mystic China destinations....the alluring monastic town of Xiàhé (Labrang) attracts an astonishing band of visitors: backpack-laden students, insatiable wanderers, shaven-headed Buddhist nuns, Tibetan pilgrims in their most colourful finery, camera-toting tour groups and dusty, itinerant beggars. Most visitors are rural Tibetans, whose purpose is to pray, prostrate themselves and seek spiritual fulfilment at holy Labrang Monastery, around which Xiàhé has grown up.

In an arid mountain valley at approx. 3200m above sea level, Labrang has a certain rhythm about it and visitors quickly tap into its fluid motions. The rising sun sends pilgrims out to circle the 3km kora (pilgrim path) that rings the Labrang monastery. Crimson-clad monks shuffle into the temples to chant morning prayers. It’s easy to get swept up in the action, but some of the best moments come as you set your own pace, wandering about town or going riding in the splendid encircling mountains.....

The Labrang Monastery was one of the largest Buddhist monastic universities and one of the six great monasteries of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism, the “Yellow Hat” sect often closely associated with the current Dalai Lama. During the Cultural Revolution, monks were sent to work in the fields, deserting Labrang, but they returned to reopen it in 1980. Its walls now house around 2000 monks. Founded in 1709, the monastery played a large role in the conflict to maintain regional autonomy between 1700 and 1950 and has always been in the middle of a strategic melting pot of Han Chinese, Hui Muslim, Tibetan and Mongolian cultures. Today, thousands of pilgrims come to make their prayers at the cultural heart of the Tibetan Amdo region.....

The bridge over the Sangchu river leads to the first prayer wheels of the Labrang monastery kora. Persimmon red, gold calligraphy and blue green waves spin dizzily as the pilgrims push the hexagonal wheels into motion, a blur of symbols as mantras are repeated under their breaths and malas (prayer beads) rubbed and counted.

Women in braids and men in hats walk round and round, the heels of their shoes scuffed and dusty, but nothing deters them as they follow the route, round the monastery walls or looping a white chorten, a mission to fulfil. The kora is a Tibetan word meaning “circumambulation” or “revolution”. Usually it is part of a pilgrimage, ritual or ceremony where the believer walks round a sacred object or place. At times this includes large sites, such as sacred mountains and high passes. Following the path of the sun, the pilgrims proceed clockwise, chanting and spinning, waiting for empowerment from this holy site. We walk in their footsteps, mesmerised by the whirling, hypnotic swirls, but I am temporarily distracted by the pairs of shoes shuffling before me, all seemingly one size too large for the feet they protect.

On any morning, people within the walls of the monastery start migrating towards the courtyard of the Grand Sutra Hall. Tibetan pilgrims and camera-toting tourists alike swarm towards the steps leading up to the entrance, awaiting something they have been told will be worth it. One by one monks in crimson robes appear, taking up different positions on the steps, some on the lower right, some on the upper left. One by one they begin a chant, like a choir, one group holds the melody, another the beat and another the stable monotonous background hum. One by one they put on their saffron crescent hats, like a sea of yellow-crowned bishop birds looking up. They sing in unison, their harmony only broken by the occasional tardy monk rushing to join his ensemble.

At times it can be easy to focus on the camera clicks, reminding you that you are not alone, but there is a moment when you decide to follow the throaty tones, basal hums and soft rhythms and we felt lumps rise in our throats. For an instant we forgot where we actually where....

Two Tibetan horns, also known as a dharma trumpets moan from the roof, and pilgrims begin rising to their feet. Palms are joined in front of mouths and knees are bent to kneel, shins touching the cold stone slabs as they lower their foreheads to the ground and repeat. The monks remove their shoes and there is silence. The crimson tide turns in one swift motion and enters the monastery. The steps are now empty, save for hundreds of boots, an ocean of black velvet rimmed in red and green.

Most Tibet temples and prayer halls don't allow picture taking, yes ~ we do respect the requests and refrain from photographing... Inside, the wide hall is held up by antique wooden beams, the walls adorned with images of Buddha painted as thangkas, rows of pillows line the floors as the monks chant on in semi-darkness. The beat speeds up as drums and cymbals join in the chorus, solid and baritone. In the middle section sit six monks sorting through offerings, three of them rapidly separating piles of cash from prayer papers, three of them counting stacks of single note chinese renmenbi. The spell is broken.

The pilgrims enter next to join the ritual, some of them wearing a single glove to protect their right palm from a day of rotating wheels, others with stone slabs attached to both hands as they perform full prostrations along the kora.

There is a wider, longer and steeper kora on the hills behind the monastery, the sacred outer circle. One need to pass a small village behind the monastic walls, shrunken alleys fringed by boxy Tibetan houses, patios covered in glass to let the light in. Here, the smaller Red Sect is performing their chanting ritual, a louder and wilder version, horns and drums coming together in ceremonial cacophony. These monks are wrapped in red and white organza, their longish hair surprising in contrast.

The climb is slow, from 2850m up to approx. 3200m, the mountains surrounding Labrang are green and luscious, looking more like parts of Colorado (USA) or the Victoria High Country (Australia) than the rolling grasslands of Gansu (Amdo Tibet). At the top, a pillar of prayer flags is dancing in the wind, the multicolour cloths fraying and disintegrating, their messages sent up and onwards into the heavens.

From here, the town is laid out below, some will gasp as they realise so far they have only seen a quarter of what lies within the monastery’s walls. Across from the principal buildings are neat rows and blocks of accommodation, houses surrounding mini internal courtyards, repeating their pattern again and again ~ grey and symmetrical.

Personal recommendation and side-note, wait for sunset to descend, find the pilgrims where you left them; circling the white chorten, time and time again, their mantras and prayers released clockwise into the sky.....

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Tibetan Nomads ~ Nomadic herders in Tibet are known usually as Drokpa. They make up about 35 percent of Tibetans in the Tibet regions. In some Tibetan counties they make up 90 percent of the population. Herding families tend to be very poor, with a family typically getting by on an income of between $100 and $300 a year. Money is earned by trading animals for grain or selling them or their meat for money. Some traders and pilgrims are regarded as nomads as well.

Generally, Tibet can be divided into farming areas and pastoral areas. Those living in pastoral areas are called nomads or pastoralists. These people sometimes build houses as home bases, for their old folks and for storage. Otherwise, they live the nomad life and in traditional nomadic tents. Nomads are people who graze animals within particular places. Those in Tibet are specially adapted towards high altitudes. Their primary aim is to feed their animals with the best available grass and foods. They have traditionally worn thick clothes, lived in tents and moved from place to place in order to feed the animals. Their income is derived from their animals: namely from selling their meat and skins, which they have traditionally had to do in towns and cities. Tibetan nomads have a lot in common with Mongolian nomads. Tibetan nomad culture is quickly disappearing as more Tibetans each year are being relocated off of the grasslands......

Nomads across the Tibet plateu have for decades always welcome us with open arms, we ask nothing from them but they always try to help out in every way they can, they have basically nothing but offer you everything.
One learns quickly in remote regions, they further away from the big cities we travel, we seem to meet people that are far more nicer and helpful.

Well, here is one of our many Tibetan Nomad stories, the lonely helpful Nomad guide, we met him by accident in valley near his Yak herd and tent camp, approx. 3 hours before we reached our planned riding destination, the Prayer Flags on the way back to Labrang... Well ~ local nomad on his carbureted 125cc domestic motorcycle followed us without our knowledge as he kept some distance. He insisted to guide us back to Labrang (Xiahe) town limits starting at the prayer flags, unsucessful ~ we tried to tell him in two China dialect (Mandarin / Shanghainese) that we know our exact location and the way to town, what can one do ~ he rode in front of us all the way for approx. 90min. Tried hard to hand him some cash to replace the petrol he used up as he had to make the return ride up the mountains to his camp. Wedged a 100RMB note on his bikes cockpit for petrol as he was admiring the pictures we took for him on his phone, still he tried to run after us shouting to hand us the money back....

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Nomads lived in large yak hair tents moving camp three to four times in a grazing season, following their animals to new pastures. A generation or two ago, families were much larger and everyone participated in the daily chores; women milked the dris and processed the milk, making butter, dried cheese and yogurt and made the dung ready for use as combustible. Children from the age of six took sheep to graze, and men lead the yaks to higher pasture and brought them home every night. In the evenings, everyone gathered around the fire and a meal of thukpa, and the elders told stories.

Now families are smaller and scattered, children at school, old people nearer to the monastery and the children, leaving the young couples to tend the animals. The tents are more reduced in size and lighter, and most often made of canvas. Lungta is a cooperative comprising about ten families and their common animals, 140 yaks. They have set up a yak hair tent as they were in the times of large families, with a large mud stove in the middle, bringing back typical nomadic implements, bags containing supplies lined up on the inside, yak hair ropes and cheese drying cloths woven from yak hair and sheep wool. It is a beautiful and inviting space for all to get a glimpse of a lifestyle on the wane.

Lungta Coop brings together 19 nomad families from Tsayig, and area over the hill from Sangkok. Most people in the area lived from a mixed economy, a combination of farming and yak and sheep herding. Lately, they found the area could not support large numbers of yaks, they formed a cooperative they called Lungta, and pooling their resources, leased pasture in Sankhok, moving there with 140 yaks. Twenty years ago, the Sangkhok grassland, along with many other areas, was divided up between the local nomads each parcel fenced off. Over time, some nomads choose to sell their animals and lease their land, as in the case of the pasture acquired by the Lungta Cooperative.

Lungta has 140 yaks, that are milked daily. The milk is made into butter and yogurt which is sold locally and highly popular and appreciated for its purity. Milking the dris takes place twice a day, early in the morning and in the late afternoon, when the animals return from the wide grazing areas that extend all around the Cooperative. We watched the process every foggy morning during our stay. The dris were tethered, waiting patiently for their turn, while the yeko, the babies born in the Spring hovered around their mothers, or played in groups. Up on the hill, the horses were let out of their corral, while the mastiff barked at the intruders. Lungta Coop is part of the Norden Travel group of companies in case you in the area = http://www.nordentravel.com

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Tibetan Nomad Tents, many nomads live in four-sided or eight-sided tents made from black yak hair or wool and held up with wooden poles. There is a slit to let out smoke. In the old days some had a bearskin front. Sometimes Tibetans live in yurts. Every nomadic family has several yak hair tents that can be easily dismantled and moved. In hot weather, the loose wool weaves let wind blow through, keeping the air fresh and cool inside. On cold weather, the tent weaves become tight, keeping wind, cold and rain out.

There are two kinds of tents: black yak wool tents and white cloth tents. People in pastoral areas are used to living in yak wool tents. In agricultural areas some people still use Tibetan cloth tents. The black yak tents generally have no adornment, but whenever people raise a tent, they hang prayer flags to bless the grassland and their animals and other living creatures with enough food. The black yak tent is viewed as a huge sky mastiff (sky spider) resting in the vast plain. At the top of the tent is a smoke escape symbolizing the highest mountain's tallest gate. The smaller and elegant white tents have traditionally been used by Tibetan girls. Pastoral people generally have a couple of these lighter white cloth tents. They are good for traveling and multitudes of them are set up at religious or racing gathering. Elders, teens, and guests usually stay in these kind of tents. The fireplace is usually outside the tent. There are big hexagonal tents, well decorated with religious signs, set up around monasteries or for the use of religious occasions.

Nomad tents and other possessions are carried by horses or yaks or by truck. Inside the tents is an altar dedicated to various Buddhist deities and protector gods. Next to the altar is a box for jewelry and other valuables. Other possessions include a cooking stove, sheepskin sleeping mats and yak-hair blankets. Because there is so little rain they often sleep outside. A nasty dog is kept around to keep away predators.

Making and Erecting Tibetan Nomad Tent, to make a black yak wool tent, people use yak wool to make big ropes first, and then tie the ropes together. A good size tent, which covers about 28 square meters, requires about 90 kilograms of wool. The tent is square at the base with a window at the top that let smoke out and sunlight in. On snowy and rainy days, the window can be shut. The front part of the tent is split into two pieces to make a door. There are generally no beds, chairs or furniture inside the tent. People sit on carpets and cushions. In the middle of the tent, a stive is set up. Behind is yak dung fuel.

Nomads traditionally have spun the yak hair into threads and weave it into striped cloth, then they sewed the cloth into a square tent of 2 pieces, which are joined by 10 ouches or so to form a completed tent. This kind of tent is usually square-shaped supported by 8 upright pillars. On one end, more than 10 strings of yak hair are tied to the pillars at the top of the tent, while the other end is tied to the poles about 3 meters away, making the tent flat and firm. To pitch a tent, people first use sticks to make a frame as high as 2 meters, and then they cover it with black yak felt, leaving a chink in the middle with a 15 centimeter width and 1.5 meter length. This split lets smoke out and sunlight in. As well, the 4 sides of the tent are secured to the ground with yak wool ropes.

Inside a Tibetan Nomad Tents, Tibetan tents are about average 20 square meters in area and 1.7 meters high with a ventilating slit at the top to let out smoke and heat when opened and to keep the tent warm and protected from wind and rainwater if covered. In the front of the tent there is a string tied to the door curtain which can be drawn to control the opening. On hot days, the door curtain can be propped up to let air in making the inside cool and comfortable. The yak hair material is instrumental to the success of the tent, making it wearable, thick, and durable enough against strong winds and snowstorms. Meanwhile, it is also convenient to be dismantled, put up, and removed, fitting for nomadic life. Inside, people build a 50 centimeter high wall made of grass-earth blocks, earth blocks, or stones, on which barley, butter bags, or yak dung (used as fuel) are usually placed. The tent is typically poorly furnished, without many household items. In the middle (near the door) of the tent, an earthy fireplace is set up, and behind is a worshipping place equipped with Buddha statues. People often spread a sheepskin rug on the floor for rest or sleep.

The tent is divided into two quarters. Males occupy the left half, and females the right half. The inner part of the left side is the worshiping place equipped with Buddha statues, scripts, and lamps. The right side is for utensils and food storage. Outside the tent, sometimes people build a wall of sod or dung to guard the animals or protect them against cold wind. Adults and children share the space inside the tent. They usually each have their own area and gather around a fire made of yak dung and juniper branches in an open hearth the middle of the tent. Yak cheese hangs from the walls above piles of heavy blankets.....

August 2017 / Amdo-Tibet ~ we went to another nearby region of the Gannan Prefecture (Amdo Tibet) called Maqu to meet up with long time native mates and families for a relaxed picnic "grasslands" lunch, stopping over to have a quick walkabout checking out the heavy preparations and horse training for the Gesar Horse Racing Festival 2017. Maqu County is an administrative district in Gansu, the People's Republic of China. It is one of 58 counties of Gansu. It is part of the Gannan Prefecture. Its postal code is 747300, and in 1999 its population was 36,213 people. The area of Maqu County is 10,191 km2 with an average altitude of 3,700m. Maqu County receives high rainfall and is located at the northern edge of the Zoigê Marshes on the Yellow River where conditions are optimal for alpine meadow vegetation.

Gansu goes to the Races ~ seemingly unending grasslands and the captivating landscape of the Maqu Prairie in Gansu province is often a serene and tranquil affair, only interrupted by the occasional bird call or whistle of wind. However, as summer begins to end each year, that silence is broken by a tremendous rumble of thunder, the ground vibrating as hundreds of horses from across the country take part in the Gesar Horse Racing Festival. Maqu county has been dubbed the “Home of Horse Racing” by the China National Sports Bureau and Chinese Equestrian Association and has hosted the Gesar Horse Racing Festival for the past 10 years.

The 11th. Gesar Horse Racing Festival Maqu County (Gansu Province / Amdo Tibet) August 2017 event had a total of 643 riders of 40 delegations from 31 counties engaged, including Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, Guizhou Province and Tibet Autonomous Region.The festival (carnival type with food & beverage stalls, entertainment & amusement, etc.) each year will attract tens of thousands of spectators and tourists from across China, its an absolute traffic mess and we had other commitments that particular weekend and have been to quite a few Tibet / Mongolia horse racing festivals before....

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