For 4 months and 20 days, covering 12,000 kilometers. Weng Xiangji, a young man from Kinmen, rode a second-hand mountain bike through seven countries in Mainland China and Southeast Asia, returning to his long-missed hometown just before Lunar New Year. Happily, he said the biggest takeaway from this journey was learning the value of “contentment.”
Through the police entrance exam and soon to become a protector of the people, Weng Xiangji refused to let his youth go to waste. On September 5th last year, with full blessings from his friends, he embarked on a cycling “mini three links” journey, traveling from Xiamen in Mainland China through Guangdong, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, Hainan Island, then entering Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore from Guangxi.
Along the way, his trusty bike had its inner tube punctured four times and the outer tire blew out once. He was even knocked off his bike by a motorcyclist in Mainland China, and in Vietnam, he was followed by thugs attempting to rob him. At one point, he even lost his passport. Camping by a stream in Laos in the dark, he was once surrounded by over ten armed militiamen. In the pouring rain, he couldn’t tell whether the wetness on his face was tears or rain—but none of it made him turn back.
Starting with riding 70 kilometers on the first day and sleeping until noon the next, he gradually built up to cycling at least 200 kilometers daily—even when the heat index in Cambodia exceeded 40°C and he had to take a break every 10 kilometers. Weng Xiangji kept telling himself: I must push on.
The language barrier was manageable with gestures, but eating could sometimes be tricky. In Cambodia, he encountered locals frying and eating tarantulas, grasshoppers, and crickets. In Laos, he also saw flies crawling all over lettuce, rice, and meat slices, which gave him quite a headache.
While staying in a cheap hotel in Guangxi, Mainland China, he was once startled in the middle of the night by an elderly white-haired woman who knock fiercely on his door and gestured suggestively, asking if he wanted to “hook up.” Frightened, he quickly shut the door and spent the rest of the night on edge.
With a deep tan, Weng Xiangji returned to Kinmen the day before yesterday, fulfilling his promise to make it home safely before Lunar New Year. His parents were overjoyed and proud, planning to choose an auspicious day to visit the temple and give thanks.
Weng Xiangji said the biggest lesson from the trip was learning to “find joy in contentment!” In Southeast Asia, he witnessed the harsh living conditions of the locals, yet the residents were always smiling, gathering in the mornings to chat and drink tea, seemingly enjoying life to the fullest.
Having just returned, he already has new plans—to embark on a journey through Tibet, Nepal, and India in the future, seeking yet another fresh experience.