Located in the southeastern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Lop Nur is shrouded in mystery and known as the "Sea of Death." The area features scorching heat and severe water scarcity, making it one of China's most famous "no-man's lands." Yet, this perilous region holds great allure for the post-80s young man known as "Yangzhou Off-Road." Last month, he set out alone on his motorcycle to take on the challenge.
Zheng Kui walks through the desert
A solo journey: A young man circumnavigates China in six months
A solo traveler and his motorcycle, circumnavigating China in half a year... Recently, a young man named "Yangzhou Off-Road" livestreamed his cross-China journey on Baidu Tieba, attracting considerable attention from netizens.
On the forum, reporters noted that "Yangzhou Off-Road" started last month from Chongqing, passing through the Ruoergai Grassland, Zhangye’s Seven-Colored Danxia, Dunhuang, and the Lop Nur no-man’s land. He has now been "wandering" along the northwestern frontier for over a month.
"Yangzhou Off-Road" stated that he plans to "circumnavigate China in half a year," starting from Chongqing, heading to Xinjiang, then traveling the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway to Tibet, continuing via the Yunnan-Tibet Highway to Yunnan, and eventually reaching Beihai in Guangxi before finally arriving in Hainan.
Recently, reporters contacted "Yangzhou Off-Road." In the interview, they learned that his real name is Zheng Kui, born in 1984 in Luzhou, Sichuan. He worked in Yangzhou for the past two years, which is why he goes by "Yangzhou Off-Road" in the off-road community.
Riding a motorcycle on the road: "Sleeping in the wilderness is common"
Zheng Kui told reporters that traveling around the world has always been his dream. "I’ve had this idea for a long time, but due to work and time constraints, I never had the chance to make it happen." Now, feeling that he’s no longer young, he decided not to delay any longer in fulfilling his dream, so he set out alone last September to travel across China.
"To free up enough time for the trip, I worked hard at an advertising company in the first half of the year, saving up sufficient funds, and now I’m finally able to hit the road."
Off-roading has been Zheng Kui’s passion for many years. "In 2012, I rode my bike from Yangzhou to Shanghai," he said. He also shared that in 2008, he hitchhiked all the way to Mohe.
With ample experience in solo travel, Zheng Kui set off on his journey with his beloved professional off-road motorcycle. Starting from Chongqing, he passed through Mianyang and Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan, the Ruoergai Grassland, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Xining, Qinghai Lake, the Qilian Mountains, crossed the Tianshan Mountains through Sunan Autonomous County, and continued through Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Jiuquan, Guazhou, and Dunhuang. "Although it’s only been a month since I started, my motorcycle has broken down several times already," said "Yangzhou Off-Road." Whenever the bike broke, he had to fix it himself. "Basically, as long as it doesn’t involve replacing the engine, I can handle any motorcycle issue myself."
"Yangzhou Off-Road" explained that after reaching the western regions, it was common to drive for half a day without seeing anyone. Sleeping in remote wilderness areas became routine. He once spent a night at the ruins of a military fortress, and traveled over 200 kilometers without finding a place to eat. The worst part was the lack of trees—no shade—so he had to eat lunch behind his motorcycle.
Spending one or two thousand a month: Believes people from Yangzhou pay attention to details
Many netizens expressed "envy, jealousy, and hate" toward Zheng Kui’s journey, while others praised him for "living his dreams and not wasting his life." However, some commented that it was too dangerous and advised caution.
In response, Zheng Kui laughed and said that traveling has always been his dream. "Every year, I make time to travel." During his journey, his expenses were modest—he camped and stayed in hostels, and with food costs, he spent at most one or two thousand yuan a month. "My family isn’t worried either—I’ve been living independently on the road for years."
Zheng Kui has a very positive impression of Yangzhou. "When I came to Yangzhou, I felt that people here were really nice to me." He recalled that when he first arrived, his wallet was stolen at the airport, leaving him with only 40 yuan—20 short of the bus fare to Yangzhou. A student from Yangzhou University lent him the remaining 20. "I love Yangzhou, and I think one of the great qualities of Yangzhou people is their attention to detail." Though he has left Yangzhou, he continues to use the online alias "Yangzhou Off-Road."
Thrilling experiences: Crossing Lop Nur and getting lost in the no-man’s land
The most dangerous part of the journey was solo-crossing the "no-man’s land" of Lop Nur.
To cross Lop Nur, Zheng Kui chose a difficult route. "The land is severely desertified, with very few vehicles passing through. Without tire tracks, it’s hard to find your way out." Zheng Kui recalled that after passing Houkeng, he couldn’t find Zhiya Spring and ended up driving 500 km in circles. His GPS was also inaccurate. He had to spend a night camping in the Gobi Desert. "Luckily, my motorcycle didn’t break down; otherwise, I might have died there." Looking back, he admitted the experience was somewhat frightening.
Although he got lost, Zheng Kui remained calm and chose to camp in the Gobi for two nights. "Since there was no phone signal, I had to rely on GPS. I couldn’t determine direction, so I used fixed points." By triangulating between two points, he managed to orient himself and eventually found his way back to Turpan. "Because I wasn’t well-prepared, the Lop Nur adventure ended in failure, but I’ll be back next year to try the crossing again."
Speaking of getting lost, Zheng Kui had actually prepared himself mentally. Before setting off, he brought enough gasoline for 1,200 km, as well as 10 days’ worth of water and food, so even if he couldn’t find his way immediately, he wasn’t too worried. Along the way, he occasionally met fellow travelers, but they could only stay together for a few days before parting ways again.
After leaving Lop Nur, for safety reasons, Zheng Kui had his motorcycle shipped back to Chongqing. He then continued on foot and by hitchhiking, spending 12 days traversing one of China’s most beautiful hiking routes—the "Kanas" trek.