This summer vacation, He Xiucan, a third-year physics major at the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, set off from Jinan with 700 yuan in his pocket. Along the way, he hitchhiked to Beijing and traveled frugally, even hiking the Great Wall. After 17 days, He Xiucan safely returned to Yongchuan with over 100 yuan remaining.
Along the way, He Xiucan got involved in philanthropy, co-founding a nonprofit team with friends. He ran in the rain to build resilience and organized book salons. Recently, He Xiucan and his nonprofit team are planning to search for the source of the Three Rivers during the summer break.
“I hope we don’t wait until we’re 20 years old to only do things we could do at 80. I hope we can do at 20 what will make us smile at 80,” said He Xiucan.
Hesitation
The idea of a budget trip hits a wall with sudden rain
This summer, 24-year-old He Xiucan from Youyang and several classmates joined a Shandong study tour organized by the university. After the tour, He Xiucan and his good friend Sun Yao were inspired to challenge themselves and decided to embark on a journey from Jinan, Shandong to Beijing.
“At that moment, some kind of drive made us want to take off on a spontaneous trip,” He Xiucan said. Each of them only had 700 yuan, and the shortage of travel funds led them to opt for a budget journey.
“We had also read many stories about people traveling on a budget before, and this time we wanted to challenge ourselves,” said Sun Yao.
However, the weather didn’t cooperate. On the morning of July 24, the first day they planned to depart from Jinan, heavy rain poured, creating some hesitation.
“If we don’t hitch a ride to Beijing this time, we might never get the chance again,” Sun Yao’s words strengthened He Xiucan’s resolve when he was wavering.
Turning Point
Successfully hitching a ride to Beijing along the way
At the start of the journey, challenges came one after another. They couldn’t find maps in bookstores, and mobile internet was unavailable due to being out of their home network. With the help of kind strangers, they took a one-hour bus ride to a suburban area of Jinan called Daqiao Town.
They waited for a long time in Daqiao Town and finally flagged down a ride that brought them to the highway entrance. They planned to hitch a ride from the highway entrance in Daqiao Town to Beijing. At the entrance, they caught another ride that took them to the nearest service station.
Just when they thought the journey would be full of obstacles, they met a Beijing-based boss at the service station. The boss was surprised to hear they were hitchhiking to Beijing but happily agreed to give them a lift. He Xiucan and Sun Yao were lucky enough to get a ride all the way to Beijing without any further issues.
“As long as you persist in doing something, the whole world will make way for you.” When they first set foot on the soil of Beijing, their hearts were filled with pride.
Twists and Turns
Returning home involved 11 days of multiple transfers
After arriving in Beijing, He Xiucan and Sun Yao stayed with a high school classmate for a few days, saving a lot of expenses. On July 29, while hiking the Great Wall, they camped overnight at the foot of the wall.
“Our biggest expense was food,” He Xiucan said. To save money, they ate at university canteens, but even then, due to high prices, their meals alone cost over 300 yuan during the six days in Beijing.
On July 30, He Xiucan and Sun Yao began their return journey. Going was easy, but coming back was hard—they spent a full 11 days getting from Beijing back to Yongchuan.
They started from Beijing, first hitchhiking to Xi’an, then transferring to Sichuan. “From Xi’an to Sichuan, we transferred four times, taking rides bit by bit each time, which took quite a lot of time,” He Xiucan said. Although the return trip was tough, it didn’t cost much.
On August 10, they took a train from Sichuan and arrived home. Of the original 700 yuan they had, over 100 yuan remained.
After touring Beijing, on the fifth day, He Xiucan hiked to the Great Wall. Along the way, he and Sun Yao met a nonprofit group that hiked the Wall, which gave He Xiucan the idea to start a nonprofit team.
“They only ate two flatbreads, a slice of raw cabbage, and drank tap water from locals’ homes to support their cause,” He Xiucan said. His worldview shifted from focusing merely on business and profit to being passionate about philanthropy and spreading positivity. He Xiucan and Sun Yao quickly agreed to establish the “Walker·Youth” nonprofit team.
Back at school, the nonprofit team was soon established. He Xiucan said their regular activities include: First, running to build resilience—around Xinglong Lake, Shen nv Lake, and Fenghuang Lake. When it rained, they ran on the school track and were jokingly called the “Five Kilometers in the Wind and Rain.” Second, reading—the team holds a weekly book salon to practice public speaking, share ideas, and exchange insights. Recently, He Xiucan and his nonprofit team are planning to explore the source of the Three Rivers this summer.
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Words from the junior himself
I was a rebellious teenager in high school. I got expelled from school in less than a semester for fighting and skipping classes to go to internet cafes.
After drifting around for nearly two years, I started working at a cardboard box factory. One day, a coworker whose child had been admitted to a prestigious university invited everyone out for a meal. That deeply moved me and made me start rethinking my life.
While working, scenes of playing basketball and studying with classmates kept flashing through my mind. I felt I should grow up, so I called my dad and told him I wanted to go back to school. He was overjoyed to hear that.
Through my own efforts, I finally returned to the classroom and got admitted to Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences.
Now, I’ve co-founded a nonprofit group called “Travelers・Youth” with friends, hoping to make my life more meaningful.