Expats discover Shanghai's rural treasures by bike
A total of 300 cycling enthusiasts took part in the Zhuqiao stage of the 2026 Shanghai Mass Sports Season and the Shanghai Beautiful and Harmonious Countryside Cycling Challenge in Zhuqiao town, Pudong New Area, on June 7.
Zhuqiao is located in eastern Pudong, bordering Shanghai Pudong International Airport and about 30 kilometers from downtown Shanghai. The town is home to the former residence of Zhang Wentian, a key early leader of the Communist Party of China, the COMAC Final Assembly Center, and Florentia Village, an Italian-style outlet near the airport.
In early June, the area's paddy fields turn vibrant green and lotus shoots emerge in village ponds. Tree-lined lanes wind past whitewashed cottages, fish ponds and flower beds, offering cyclists a scenic escape from the bustle of the nearby airport.
The eight-kilometer route for the international group took riders through a historical and cultural site, ecological farmland, and agritourism attractions.
Riders stopped at the "Red Origin" Ideal Home, a renovated waterside cottage converted into a compact space for heritage education, cultural creation, and study programs.
They then continued to Xinghuo Xiaolai Farm, passing neatly textured fields crisscrossed by narrow dirt paths, where swaying crops and chirping insects replaced the sounds of traffic.
The route concluded at the Crayfish and Rice Dream Space, where participants tried their hand at catching the freshwater crustaceans and sampled seasonal dishes prepared with local harvests.
