"A connoisseur's weekender exploring Fujian's extraordinary tea and tulou culture at a leisurely pace on two wheels.  Stay in UNESCO world heritage tulou roundhouses and explore the local life of the Hakka people and the surrounding countryside that produces tea that is famed throughout China." 

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Mistaken in 1980’s satellite photos for missile silos, Fujian’s Tulou Roudhouses turned out to be far more interesting: multi-storied, fengshui-alligned, rammed earth fortresses built from the 13th Century onward to protect the “newly” arrived Hakka Clan’s and their rich culture.  46 Tulou scattered across Southern Fujian are now UNESCO listed World Cultural Heritage gems, best appreciated on a bike, with plenty of tea.

There are hills, hedged with seasonal crops, most famously Fujian's Iron Goddess tea bushes, that provide us our happy excuse to stop and taste both the landscape and Tulou-hospitality, in a teacup! Brewed with ceremony (kung-fu styled), Oolong teas are the Red Bull of this eco-ride – served up with Fujian folklore, tea-processing know-how and the basics of tea-palate education.  You will support heritage conservation by staying in two lesser known Tulou. Tea lovers and non-hardcore cyclists are encouraged to join. There are some challenging hills but the cycling is not rushed. In total you will cycle approximately 75 km kilometers of both beautifully paved country back roads, and tiny village pathways (some less than beautifully paved, but providing intimate access to the tulou villages and fields).  Don't miss this chance to see one of China's rarely visited hidden gems.

Getting There & Away

From Hong Kong: Flights are roughly 1 hour from Hong Kong to Xiamen. Flight KA 604 departing at 5.45 pm is perfect for those joining from Hong Kong on Friday afternoon. For the eco-minded with a little more time, the bullet train takes just 3.5 hours from Shenzhen North Station.

From Shanghai: The new bullet speed D-Trains take about 8 hours from Shanghai to Xiamen. There are seven direct flights on a Friday – China Eastern MU 5563 the most convenient for the 7.30 pm meet up.

From Beijing: There are more than 17 flights a day. The 24 hour train ride is truly for afficiandos.

Other:  Xiamen is serviced by an international airport, Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN), and has several international flights arriving daily from destinations across Asia and beyond. To check flight details, time and cost we can recommend the following website: Ctrip - http://english.ctrip.com/.   It is in English, reliable, and you can pay for these flights by credit card. If more convenient you can also book domestic China flights through us at competitive rates (a small service charge applies per ticket). Just let us know when you book.

Return options: The Tea and Tulou trip finishes at Xiamen Airport at 6pm Sunday night to connect with flights back to all major cities (Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai) and beyond.  Please check ticket availability for your return before you book. Drop offs for the the bullet train back to Shenzhen can be made at at 5.15 pm.

Transfers

Airport/ train station pick ups and drop offs are included in the tour price.  Please make sure you give us details of your arrival and departure, including flight details, date and time, so we can arrange your transfers.

Tour Info Pack

Once we have recieved your booking and deposit we'll send you a Tour INFO PACK that will include tour notes, training tips, preparation info and joining point instructions.  If you have any questions about the tour at all please don't hesitate to contact us