The Bicycle Association of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS) hosted a bicycle ride around Guangzhou to give students a break from their heavy school work. The activity on November 29 was a huge success, attracting more than 100 students.
The group set out from Guangzhou University Town at 10.30am, following the shores of the Pearl River, Shamian Island, Sun Yat-sen University and the Xinghai Concert Hall. The entire trip was about 50 kilometers and it took about five hours to finish.
'The route is attractive,' said Li Guantian, one of the cyclists. 'I'm not a Guangzhou local, but I had heard about the beautiful scenery of the Pearl River and Shamian long ago. I joined this activity as soon as I found out about it.'
The leading bicycle carried a big white flag, reading 'The Bicycle Association of GDUFS'. Due to the dust and the flu, which has been rampant in Guangzhou recently, the association gave every participant a mask and encouraged them to wear it during the journey.
Cai Shangxuan, one of the event organisers, said the activity had been postponed for a week due to cold weather. 'We also changed the route,' he said. 'We had planned to cycle through Shamian, but there's a large reconstruction project there, so we decided not to go because of the dust and dirt.'
Cai said they took safety very seriously during the journey.