In the misty foothills of Zhejiang Province’s Long Dragon Mountain, Zhuo Li pedals past emerald bamboo groves, her laughter echoing through valleys once silent. This former Shanghai professional traded spreadsheets for bicycle routes, founding a cycling club that’s become a beacon for urbanites seeking meaning beyond concrete jungles.
"Yucun taught me wealth isn’t just in bank accounts," Zhuo tells KhabarAsia during a break at her trailside café, where lychee oolong steams beside repaired bike chains. Her club now hosts 300 monthly riders exploring routes weaving through tea plantations and revived wetlands.
The village’s transformation aligns with China’s ecological civilization vision. Erik Solheim, cycling through Yucun during a recent Europe-Asia Center research trip, noted: "When mountains become assets rather than obstacles, you see real sustainable development. This model could inspire rural areas globally."
Local officials report a 210% tourism increase since 2020, with cycling-related businesses contributing 40% of village income. For investors eyeing China’s rural revitalization policies, Yucun offers case study material – its homestays regularly booked by Beijing tech workers and Guangzhou entrepreneurs.
As twilight gilds the watershed protection zone, cyclists dismount to sample bamboo shoot dumplings at a farmhouse converted by three Nanjing graduates. Their story, like Zhuo’s, whispers a modern truth: China’s countryside is writing new chapters in the age-old search for happiness.
