Hu Yueming, an 84-year-old woman from Ningbo, Zhejiang, has made driving a source of joy in her life ever since she got her driver’s license at the age of 70. Every time she goes on a self-driving trip, she invites her classmates from the senior university to join her for an outing. Recently, she got a new car and even took a series of photos with her beloved vehicle.
Hu Yueming was a lawyer in her younger years and had dreamed of driving a Mercedes-Benz on the open road since childhood, but various circumstances delayed that dream. When she learned that the new Road Traffic Safety Law had raised the upper age limit for obtaining a driver’s license from 60 to 70, she was determined to get her license before her 70th birthday to fulfill that lifelong aspiration.
On September 1, 2003, the first day the new traffic regulations came into effect, she immediately signed up for driving lessons. She even borrowed a training car from the driving school, found an empty lot, used a broom as a barrier, and arranged bricks as a single-plank bridge to practice over and over again.
On January 9, 2004, Hu Yueming passed her driving test—three months before her 70th birthday. “When I completed all the test sections, the other students at the site clapped for me. Since I was the oldest student there and passed on my first try, I became everyone’s idol.”
With her new license, Hu Yueming immediately bought her own car. Acting like a team leader, she often invites like-minded classmates from the senior university to go on outings together. “From the construction of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge to the completion of the Hangzhou Bay New Area, I’ve driven there six or seven times over the years, and each time felt different. I’ve also driven to places like Hangzhou and Jiande—I’ve been to many parts of the province.”
The total age of everyone in the car adds up to over 310 years old, but their enthusiasm for life hasn’t diminished one bit.
As she’s gotten older and her reflexes have slowed, her family helped her get a new, smaller car at the end of last month. With its black-and-white color scheme, it looks very “trendy,” and Hu Yueming loves it. The dealership, impressed by the grandma’s passion for quality living, even took a set of car photos with her.