In recent years, books by foreigners describing Chinese society have not been uncommon. For example, American Peter Hessler's "Country Driving" and "River Town" once became outstanding works of foreign social surveys on China. Compared to Hessler's field research in "Country Driving," the recently published "Trekking China" by German youth Lake, a Weibo celebrity known as "Lake the Little Rascal," places more emphasis on field experience. He trekked across 4,646 kilometers of China on foot, observing Chinese social issues through his own eyes. Of course, he also found a lot of joy, made many friends, and visited many families during the trek.
Trekking China — Enjoying the Fulfillment of Being on the Road
"Trekking China" tells the story of German student Lake, who left Beijing and ventured into Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia, then entered Gansu from Ningxia, crossed the Hexi Corridor, traversed the vast deserts of Xinjiang, passed through Central Asia, and entered Europe — a journey of trekking 4,646 kilometers across China over the course of a year. "Trekking China" documents what Lake saw and heard within China: he crossed plains, cities, railways, deserts, and Gobi, viewed the Terracotta Army, and traveled along the Silk Road. The curiosity and help of rural strangers, chance encounters with monks, fortune-tellers, schoolchildren, retirees, and government officials, and his deep friendship with the eccentric teacher Xie all illuminated his trekking journey. At the same time, his on-again-off-again romantic story with Xiaoxiang, a girl from Sichuan, ran throughout the trek.
Talking about the reason for choosing to trek in China, we have to go back to when he was selecting his university major. Lake said that he was originally not interested in the Chinese language or China, but when choosing his university major in Germany, a Japanese friend told him the story of the Three Kingdoms, saying it was the foundation of the entire Asian culture. Lake thought to himself that there was such a large continent he knew nothing about, so he decided to study Japanese and Japanese culture. But later he changed his mind and chose to study Chinese instead, because he realized that far more people spoke Chinese than Japanese. "After all the effort of learning a foreign language, I still hope to be able to communicate with a lot of people, right? So I chose to communicate with 1.4 billion people."
Thus, Lake came to China, completed one year of language study and one year of photography studies at the Beijing Film Academy. In 2007, Lake came up with the idea of walking home from Beijing. "In the summer of 2003, I walked from Paris back to Germany — 800 kilometers — and it took me less than a month in total. Why not do the same this time?" Lake said he loves walking, and walking has special meaning to him. "I remember when I was walking, all I could think about was where I’d sleep and what I’d eat." During that time, he had no metaphysical questions or anxieties — only practical, pending problems to solve. "That feeling was great, very fulfilling." And walking gave him a sense of being on a path that belonged to him. "No matter where I am, what I remember is not just the road itself, but more the feeling of knowing I have the right to be on the road. When taking a train, I’m just an outside observer."
Walking Insights — Admiring the Sacrificial Spirit of Chinese Parents
To ordinary people, trekking 4,646 kilometers is an extremely difficult feat, so how did Lake manage to persevere? Lake says he is a rather stubborn person — once he decides to go, he goes. What he gained most along the way was happiness. Lake said that the person who influenced him the most during the trek was Xie Jianguang, known as the "Number One Madman Under Heaven," who spent nearly thirty years trekking across China. "He’s a very interesting man, and we became good friends." On the road, Lake also met Brother Huihui, Uncle Shen, the Taoist priest, the boss, kids, elderly people, and others, all of whom appear in "Trekking China." Lake believes that he didn’t make so many friends because they shared any particular traits in common. In Chinese terms, it’s called "fate." "For example, as a little foreigner, chatting with a Taoist priest in the mountains who’s over seventy years old — for me, that’s a rare thing. That’s fate."
During the trek, Lake also visited many Chinese families, and he discovered something truly admirable: many Chinese parents, especially in rural areas, are willing to give everything for their children. "They work hard to earn money so their kids can go to school in big cities. They stay behind in their hometowns, running small shops, working in coal mines, farming… I really hope those children know how much their parents have sacrificed for them." Of course, Lake also noticed some not-so-good aspects of Chinese families. "I feel that many Chinese parents nowadays seem very eager for their children to get married. I don’t think that’s very good — it puts a lot of pressure on the kids. And even if they rush into finding a partner, that partner might not be the ideal one, right?"
Lake also observed that in most third-tier cities and rural areas, material living conditions aren’t that great, so people’s dreams tend to be more practical — things like having a house, a car, and a stable income. Meanwhile, economically better-off urban youth are similar to German youths in that they’re striving to figure out how to "be themselves." But "being yourself" is a rather abstract concept, and neither German nor Chinese youths really know where the answer lies. "I’m afraid everyone still has to find it on their own."
Writing About Han Han — He’s a "Strange Phenomenon"
As a Sinologist, Lake is preparing to write his master’s thesis on Han Han, the so-called "opinion leader." Lake says the Han Han phenomenon is a very strange one. "Why do Chinese netizens have divided attitudes toward Han Han, split between anti-Han and pro-Han camps? For the anti-Han side, is Han Han a representative — does he symbolize China’s 'knockoff' problems over the past few decades? You can’t buy milk powder you can trust, eggs are fake too. Maybe they at least hope that the so-called 'opinion leaders' aren’t fake? As for the pro-Han side, do they believe that those attacking Han Han are actually attacking not Han Han the person, but his opinions? If so, then the pro-Han side isn’t really supporting Han Han either, but their own social views."
Watching Lake talk eloquently about China’s issues and figures, many netizens say Lake is a China expert. But Lake doesn’t think he knows China very well, because what he understands is only what he has seen with his own eyes. Of course, he’s also deepened his understanding of China through reading books, watching movies, chatting online, and hanging out with Chinese friends. "But in fact, I realized a long time ago that China is not just a country — she’s a world. The Chinese themselves can’t fully understand every aspect of China, so I’m just an outsider who’s passed through."