In June, Meishan is filled with the fragrance of gardenias throughout the city. Fan Yongping, known as the "Chinese youngster" who hiked across the nation, strolled along East Slope Avenue and walked by East Slope Lake. This "Chinese youngster," who spent ten years hiking across the country, made a major decision in the hometown of the Three Sus: to set the endpoint of his decade-long nationwide hiking journey in Meishan.
Fan Yongping being interviewed
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The Fan Yongping before us, with a small mustache, standing at just 1.60 meters tall and weighing less than 40 kilograms, makes it hard to associate such a slender figure with the experience of hiking through 30 provinces in China, covering a distance of over 70,000 kilometers. How did he come to be connected with Meishan? What kind of strength supported him in traveling alone across the entire country (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan)? Let’s get closer to Fan Yongping and listen to his story.
Meishan Quan Search: When did you come to Meishan, and how many times have you been here?
Fan Yongping: I’ve been to Meishan three times in total. The first time was in December 2000 when I passed through Meishan while hiking to Guiyang. At that time, Meishan was still quite run-down, the streets were narrow, the new district hadn’t been developed yet, unlike now where East Slope Avenue is wide and smooth, the asphalt road is pitch-black and shiny, and looking around, there are towering buildings, ginkgo trees and pine trees swaying gracefully, presenting a delightful scene of prosperity. I came to Meishan again in 2003. It had just been established as a city, but the cultural charm it displayed already made me reluctant to leave; also, I really wanted to see Brother Yang Sange, who had helped me for many years. Brother Yang said he hoped I would stay and develop in Meishan, and that if I had any difficulties, I should turn to him, and he would even help me settle down and start a family. In March 2011, I set the endpoint of my hiking journey in Meishan, drawing a perfect conclusion. I plan to live here permanently.
Meishan Quan Search: Over the ten years, you’ve been to many cities. Which city do you find the most charming? Why did you choose Meishan?
Fan Yongping: The city with friends is the best city. As the ancients said: rely on friends when away from home, and on parents when at home. Choosing to settle in Meishan is partly because Brother Yang cares about me here, and secondly, because Meishan has beautiful scenery, a good climate, and a nice environment. Thirdly, I love classical poetry, especially the poems of Su Dongpo. I believe the older something is, the more it returns to its original simplicity.
Meishan Quan Search: When did you decide to hike across the country, and what was the reason behind your hiking journey?
Fan Yongping: March 5, 1999, was the starting day of my journey across the country. At that time, I lost my job in Qingdao and also broke up with my girlfriend, so I was feeling very down. Since childhood, I’ve had the habit that whenever something goes wrong, I just go out for a walk, and I feel much better after walking.
The reason I chose Baotou as the first stop was because my father had been to Baotou. When I was little, he often told me that Baotou is a city on the grassland, with the Yellow River, grasslands, and deserts. I had always longed to go there, and I thought maybe the vast grasslands could heal my wounds. So, I set off with all my belongings: two sets of change of clothes, three notebooks, a pager, a disposable camera, 2,700 yuan, a pack of Hademen cigarettes, and a copy of the China Transportation Map.
Meishan Quan Search: During the long 10-year journey, what was your biggest realization?
Fan Yongping: In Wuhai, I met a teacher who told me I shouldn’t just keep walking with my head down, but should read more books, keep a diary every day, and that walking ten thousand miles should go hand in hand with reading ten thousand books. Wherever I went, I should learn about the local history, culture, customs, and treat the cities and villages I passed as classrooms, and the people I met as teachers. That way, the journey would be more meaningful and the gains greater... Hearing his words, my heart suddenly became clear. I was no longer lost. From then on, I regarded hiking as a special form of learning and summed up the principle: "Walk ten thousand miles with your heart, and read ten thousand books with your feet."
Meishan Quan Search: The ten-year journey was tough. What were the most unforgettable and painful experiences?
Fan Yongping: Experiences of life and death. Back then in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, I was walking at night and fell into a ditch, my face covered in blood, and I slept in a tunnel for a night. People said I was crazy. At that time, because I always had no money to buy food, I was constantly afraid of going hungry. I remember during the toughest times, I went without food for four days, weak from hunger. Because I had no money, I’ve stayed in all kinds of places—brick kilns, toilets, caves, and even in the house of a deceased person. I was robbed eight times and stolen from fifteen times. There were several times I nearly lost my life. But what I feared most was loneliness. Walking alone day after day, with no one around, felt empty inside, and I was very scared. Over the ten years, I wore out 75 pairs of shoes, ruined 14 backpacks, broke 15 flag signs, 21 cameras, and 3 binoculars, wrote 24 diaries, used up 26 message books, and made over 3 million words of written records, sent over 700,000 words of text manuscripts, and tens of thousands of photos.
Meishan Quan Search: I heard you published a book called "The Chinese Youngster Fan Yongping – Ten Years Hiking Across China." Why did you publish this book? How did readers respond?
Fan Yongping: Friends, anyone who cares about me is a treasure in life. I wrote my ten-year experience into a book, using these true stories to recreate unforgettable scenes, to encourage myself and inspire others. It’s also a summary for myself, an explanation to my friends, and an explanation to society.
"Reading, crying, laughing, finishing this amazing book overnight" – A reader from Bazhou, Xinjiang.
"I’ve never finished reading a whole book before. I read this one in one day and one night, and I was moved." – Zhu Ling from Meishan.
"You little rascal, you made my eyes water non-stop" – A friend from Inner Mongolia.
"At the end of last year, he came to Meishan and handed me a thick stack of printed manuscript. It was his personally written travel record, 'Ten Years Hiking Across China.' Reading through the nearly 400,000-word manuscript, it felt like I had also experienced those ten years hiking across China with him." – Yang San, General Manager of Meishan Yangtai Industry and Trade Co., Ltd.
Meishan Quan Search: What’s your next goal?
Fan Yongping: To devote myself to public welfare. Beauty is not far away. The traveler’s goal is always ahead. The first ten years of walking were about accumulating thoughts and experience. The next ten or twenty years of walking won’t be with my feet. How to merge material and spirit into one powerful point is essential to fully commit to public welfare. I want to give back to society this successful transformation, after all, society has given me so much over these ten years.
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