Traveling your own road

Members of Missle Bike Club in Langfang. Photo provided to China Daily

Li says the driving association's membership, which comprises 200,000 members from Hebei province, increased rapidly during the past year.

He says the travel routes are likely to boost the idea of independent driving holidays even more and he thinks they will be popular with his association's members.

The Hebei Tourism Bureau routes can be accessed through the organization's website or a mobile app, which Android users can download for free. The iOS version of the app is pending approval from Apple.

Wang says the travel routes also provide drivers with suggestions for local food and specialties to watch out for.

He says the routes can be adapted to suit people's interests or simply used for inspiration and travel ideas, which is what cyclist Dong Pengyu does.

The 24-year-old founded Langfang Missile Bicycle Club with his wife in 2012 and after hearing about the travel routes rode to Shengfang town, a site included on one of the routes.

"We think the routes are a good idea and we plan to cover the routes in Hebei. I think they (the club's members) will have a lot of joy when we ride along the routes and we visit the sites and towns recommended," Dong says.

"We plan first to do short trips along the routes and in the three places, where most of our members are from. After we have covered the shorter trips we will go on longer ones and bring tents to stay in. It's very joyful to enjoy the rides. It's not our goal to arrive at a place but to enjoy the journey and what we see."