Chengdu, China's Cycling Capital

Chengdu has long been renowned with many accolades, from the “Land of Abundance” to the “Park City beneath the Snowy Mountains,” with praises for this city never ceasing.

In recent years, Chengdu has added a new title—the City of Cycling.

People have noticed that whether in the bustling streets or along the park greenways, the number of cyclists is growing ever larger.

According to statistics, shared bikes in Chengdu have an average of 2.2 million rides per day. Just last year, the total cycling distance in Chengdu reached nearly 500 million kilometers—enough to circle the equator 10,000 times, reducing carbon emissions by 23,500 tons, equivalent to the carbon reduction of planting 36 Xinglong Lakes.

The Netherlands has Amsterdam, a cycling paradise; China has Chengdu, the cycling capital.

From being a solution to the “last mile” transportation problem to becoming one of Chengdu residents’ favorite leisure activities, the popularity of cycling in Chengdu didn’t come out of nowhere, nor was it without warning.

Here lies the world’s longest greenway—the Tianfu Greenway.

The world’s longest greenway is in Chengdu.

Chengdu locals are hooked on the 100 km loop!

In 2017, the construction of the Tianfu Greenway, the largest-scale greenway in history, began, stunning many at the time.

With a planned greenway system of nearly 17,000 kilometers, just this number alone makes it impossible to ignore.

According to data, the Tianfu Greenway consists of three levels: it takes the Jin River as its axis, flanked by the Longmen and Longquan mountains, with the Panda Greenway, Ring City Ecological Park, and Rural Greenway forming three concentric rings. Seven major rivers within the city radiate outward, creating a “one axis, two mountains, three rings, seven belts” structure of 1,920 kilometers of regional greenways, 5,380 kilometers of urban greenways, and 9,630 kilometers of community greenways.

Compared to Boston’s Emerald Necklace, known as the “world’s first greenway,” the Tianfu Greenway is even more impressive, like a massive green dragon winding through Chengdu.

Today, this colossal green dragon is truly a cyclist’s paradise.

Among them, the Ring City Ecological Park is the most famous and popular.

At the end of 2021, with the completion of the “last kilometer” bridge crossing the Chengdu-Kunming railway, the Ring City Ecological Park was fully connected.

This greenway built along the Fourth Ring Road spans 12 districts, featuring 78 bridges of various types and 121 distinctive parks. Along the way, there are countless Instagram-worthy spots, with wheat fields of different colors and shapes, as well as blooming flowers, making the scenery so stunning that it has been hailed as the “Most Underrated 6A Scenic Area”.

Aside from the great scenery, the Greenway around the city is mostly flat with some rolling hills—about 20km of uphill, 20km of downhill, and 60km of flat roads—making for a pretty enjoyable ride.

That’s why every weekend, loads of Chengdu locals flood onto the Greenway, cycling while taking in the city’s countryside views.

For cycling enthusiasts, it’s a must to clock in a 100KM ride on the Greenway every week—it’s both satisfying and addictive.

As the saying goes, France has the Tour de France, and Chengdu has the Tour de Chengdu.

In 2022, the Ring City Greenway received about 65 million visitors, making it a popular attraction in Chengdu.

At the same time, the latest data shows that Chengdu has built over 6,500 kilometers of greenways at all levels, with a greenway service radius coverage rate of 95.88%.

Apart from this longest greenway, what makes Chengdu the king of cycling cities also comes down to its geography and climate.

Geography and Climate

Chengdu is the Best City for Cycling

This is a topographic map of China, with the Sichuan Basin in the middle, shaped like a “bowl.”

It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, forming a perfect 360-degree barrier that blocks cold waves and sandstorms from the north. Tucked away inland, far from the ocean, it is also free from typhoons and tsunamis.

Setting aside natural disasters, even moderately strong winds rarely make their way here.

Generally speaking, cycling becomes quite challenging when wind speeds reach level 5 or above, but Chengdu’s wind speeds rank among the lowest in the country, consistently staying below level 4.

On top of that, Chengdu’s weather allows for outdoor activities all 365 days of the year, with an average annual temperature of 18°C. Winters are not harsh, summers are not scorching, and there are no extreme weather conditions.

The climate is incredibly mild and peaceful.

Of course, the most important thing is that Chengdu has the flattest terrain in the country.

Located on the Chengdu Plain, the city has an average slope of just 3% to 10%, with relative elevation differences of about 20 meters. There are no steep, unclimbable slopes, and the terrain is level. Major urban roads feature clearly marked non-motor vehicle lanes, while smaller streets also have dedicated cycling paths. The slow-traffic system is rapidly expanding.

From an aerial view, the entire city looks like a natural cycling ground.

With favorable timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony, Chengdu truly deserves the title of “China’s Cycling Capital.” Data shows that Chengdu now has nearly 2 million cyclists, reaching over 5 million people. How many kilometers have you cycled among them?

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