"Wish us success, friends!"
The other day, netizen @Dadonggui posted a message saying: On June 1, my friend and I will set off from our hometown of Anxi, passing through N cities, and finally reach Lhasa. The mode of travel will be hiking and hitchhiking. Along the way, some friends will sponsor some expenses, and the rest will be covered by busking and other means. We will livestream the entire journey on Weibo. Our goal is to travel at least halfway across China without spending a single penny and without any unexpected personal safety issues, and finally reach Tibet.
Two young men hike to Tibet "with zero yuan"
He said this is a journey even more bare-bones than budget travel. @Dadonggui, whose real name is Wu Minghui, is 22 years old. He graduated from Sichuan Conservatory of Music last year and returned to his hometown of Anxi to work as a freelancer. His companion, Huang Zhenbin, works in a tea company. The two met in high school when they played in a band together—Wu Minghui plays guitar and Huang Zhenbin is the drummer. Their shared love of music brought them back together.
On the road: Fulfilling "ideals and love"
This is a long-held dream buried deep in their hearts. Wu Minghui said that a long time ago, he listened to Xu Wei’s music, read the book *On the Road*, and later listened to the song *Highway Song* by the band Tangya. All of these were “catalysts.” “Maybe rock music and Jack Kerouac changed my view on life—or maybe they didn’t change it at all, but simply resonated with me.”
He had been planning this action for a while: hiking into Tibet.
In early May, his friend Huang Zhenbin said he was willing to quit his job and join him on the journey. Wu Minghui decided to act immediately, setting the date for June 1.
Why enter Tibet and head for Lhasa in this way? Wu Minghui said that this is a journey of thousands of kilometers, and the issue of money had been considered. “The only way I can think of to keep ‘everything’ fresh is to ‘be on the road.’” He said that perhaps people may not understand, and he himself finds it hard to come up with a definite reason to convince others—but he can only say it is because of “ideals and love,” all kinds of love: love for people, life, the world, and freedom.
No deadline: Dreams are on the road
Wu Minghui said he told his parents about his general idea, but his family currently doesn’t understand his actions. “I’m an adult, and I know what I’m doing.” He said he will have a good talk with his mother before setting off.
Wu Minghui said the term “zero yuan” journey mentioned on Weibo is not clear enough. Their trip may not be entirely on foot—they might also hitchhike, with costs possibly covered by friend sponsorships or earned through busking. Of course, the instrument for busking will be his beloved guitar.
“We haven’t set a deadline for this trip. We’re just like this—‘on the road,’” Wu Minghui said. They will use a DV to record everything that happens along the way. “The dream is on the road.”
