18-Jul-2008 -- This is the tenth out of 23 confluences that I visited on my bicycle trip to the North-East of China. The story starts from 40°N 117°E.

In the morning of that day, I woke up in the town Tàipíngchuān (太平川镇) at 3:30 am and left the hotel at 4:30 am. After visiting 45°N 124°E in the town Qián’ān (乾安), I started biking again from the town Tōngyú (通榆) further towards the north with direct course to this confluence.

At a distance of 2.7 km to the confluence, I left the main road between Tōngyú and Táonán (桃南) at a village called Hóngxìng (鸿兴镇). From now on I was left without any map information – a fact that I actually enjoy.

I crossed a rail track that runs parallel to the road. A little later, I reached another village at 1.9 km distance, went through it and then followed various farm tracks that pointed towards the confluence. A couple times, I reached the outskirts of the cultivated land, which meant that there wasn’t any track to follow. Thus, I had to track back. Finally, I got on a track that led down into a wide river valley. This track ended where the cultivated land ended, but this time it was only another 300 m distance to go, that I easily covered by riding my bicycle cross-country through the grasslands.

This was the first scenic confluence point since I had left Beijing. The grass was really green and on a big horizon I could see in all directions very far. Probably, if it rains, the confluence might be under water. This indicated a nearby swamp.

I would have rested a while at the confluence, if there wasn’t the constraint to reach a place to stay before darkness came. So I went back the way I came until I hit the main road and then headed further north. After another 45 km, I reached the city of Táonán (桃南), just before sunset.

CP Visit Details:

• Distance to an asphalt road: 2.7 km
• Distance to a road: 1.22 km
• Distance to a track: 300 m
• Distance of parking the bike: 0 m
• Distance to houses: 1.5 km
• Time for deviation (from main road): 1:05 hours
• Time at the CP: 16:13 p.m.
• Riding time (distance) from Tàipíngchuān: 4:21 hours (85 km)
• Measured height: 147 m
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
• Position accuracy at the CP: 3 m
• Topography: flat, located in river plain
• Vegetation: grassland, nearby sunflower- and cornfields.
• Weather: cloudy, 23° C (felt temperature)
• Description of the CP: In the north-east part of Jilin Province. Located in a river bed with nearby swamps. Just 100 m from cultivated land.
• Given Name: The Beautiful Grassland Confluence

Story continues at 46°N 123°E.