Riding the Hun River, Shenyang

Along the Binshui Lu

When I was planning my visit to Shenyang, I consulted online maps for spots that might offer something of interest. Searches for established routes returned nothing, so I was down to making up my own.  As the city is bisected by the Hun river, a river ride looked promising.  Baidu and Google Maps showed a road running parallel to the Hun on the north side about 15-20km in either direction from the city center. 

As it turns out that, that road, the Binshui Lu, is a dedicated cyclist and runner’s path and a great place to go for a ride when you’re visiting Shenyang.  Its only possible downside is that it’s also used by a few ebikers, but because no businesses or commercial property is located directly next to the path, there is little through traffic.

One of the really cool things you may notice should you visit is the wide variety of cyclists and bicycles, everything from dudes in lyrca on expensive racing bikes, to old guys on city bikes, moms on share bikes, young guys on mountain bikes, even a crazy guy on a fat tired off-road bike that you’d normally ride on snow or sand.  If you’re a photographer with an interest in cycling, this would make a fabulous place to capture a rich cross-sample of cycling culture.

Ironically, I suffered my first bicycle accident here, on a dedicated cycling route, rather than on the street dodging cars, trucks, buses, and pedestrians.  I came around a corner through a small water puddle and I suppose the angle of the turn was sharp enough that the tire slipped and the bike shot out from under me.  I landed on my hip and at least partly on my camera, the iris of which no longer opens automatically.  It still seems to take photos, but I have to manually open and close the iris.  I also put a nice burn on my knee, ripped my pants (since repaired by a shopping mall seamstress), and took a bruise on my right thigh where I suppose the handlebar hit me on the way down (or on top of which I may have fallen).

I cycled a bit more that morning and the morning after, so there appears to have been no major damage, except to my camera, which I am afraid after six years’ service may be on its last legs: sensor dust, manual iris, and a humming motor.  It may be time to start shopping for its replacement, which I can then use, at some future date, to do some concentrated shooting along the Binshui Lu.

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