HowToTrip Column 1: Cyclist Chen Miaolin

    Born in 1952, standing 1.8 meters tall, he has maintained peak condition despite being over sixty. He has a famous saying: “When you focus all your energy on sports or vacation, the stress of work is thrown out the window, leaving only happiness.” He enjoys various sports, especially extreme sports, and has infused this form of sport and its spirit into the company culture. He is Chen Miaolin, Chairman of Kaiyuan Tourism Group.

    Chen Miaolin, Chairman of Kaiyuan Tourism Group

    Corporate sports is a test of physical strength, willpower, and team cohesion

    Chen Miaolin: The biggest benefit of sports is that it generally improves your physical fitness, and secondly, it strengthens your willpower. You need to endure some hardship from time to time. When you can persevere through extreme pain, then you won’t face too many problems in everyday life.

    This year, the Kaiyuan Cycling Team set off again on the “Xinjiang-Tibet Highway” journey. From May 25 to June 17, over 23 days, they cycled for 17 days covering 2,823 kilometers, hiked 53 kilometers, and relocated 1,636 kilometers. In the eyes of Chen Miaolin, Chairman of Kaiyuan Tourism Group, this was a challenging yet most meaningful cycling trip.

    The “Xinjiang-Tibet Highway” presented the greatest challenges: climbing the Tianshan Mountain Highway, passing through the Tarim Basin, traversing over 500 kilometers of the uninhabited Taklamakan Desert, ascending the Pamir Plateau, crossing the Kunlun Mountains to reach China’s westernmost point; entering the northern Tibetan Plateau and the Ali Plateau, scaling the Gangdise Mountains, and arriving at the world’s most sacred mountain, Mount Kailash. At its most difficult, it was twice as hard as the “Sichuan-Tibet Highway”.

    Chen Miaolin: On the first day in Xinjiang, I started having diarrhea. By the third day, we entered the “Sichuan-Tibet Highway”. Starting from Yecheng, as soon as we climbed the first 5,000-meter peak, I had to stop to relieve myself every half hour of riding—every half hour. Later, in the middle of nowhere with no restroom, I had to squat in the wild and couldn’t even stand up afterward. It was exhaustion and diarrhea, and I had no strength. Before going, I’d pile up some rocks nearby so I could hold onto them when getting up. I couldn’t possibly ask my teammates for help while I was having diarrhea—that would be rude and embarrassing. So that’s what I did. For a while, I almost wanted to give up. A member of our support vehicle team noticed my pale face and said, “Chairman Chen, if you really can’t go on, get in the car. We won’t count those five kilometers against you.” I said it wasn’t about counting or not, but deep down, I knew I could make it, and I had to make it no matter what. In the end, I pulled through—maybe heaven saved me.

    At 62 years old, Chen Miaolin has organized extreme cycling trips time and again, which may seem like “asking for trouble” to outsiders. But as the founder and leader of a company, Chen Miaolin has his own reasons.

    Chen Miaolin: Our cycling is actually a challenge—riding the hardest routes in the world to train our bodies and strengthen our will.

    Striving your best to realize your own value—that’s my life motto. Just having good intentions doesn’t guarantee success, but you must give your all. It’s like cycling—I say I might not finish the whole ride, but I’ll push to complete it.

    The founder plays a crucial role in shaping a company. Not only because their equity stake is dominant, but also because their influence is paramount. If a founder’s values shift, it affects the entire company’s direction. For instance, if I’m old and not feeling well, I might think, “Why run the business? Let’s just stay stable, earn a bit more, and call it a day.” That’s why I push myself to stay fit and strive hard. I want to prove that I’m not old, that I can still ride the “Xinjiang-Tibet Highway,” that my values remain forward-moving. As they say, men love to stir things up—but you need the ability to do so. What ability? The physical capability to take on challenges.

    I’ll keep cycling until I’m 65. Once I turn 65, I’ll step back. After handing over the reins, my influence in the company will gradually diminish, allowing the business to develop healthily. Because as you age, you tend to become muddled. I must step down before that happens, let the younger generation take over, and ensure a brighter future for the company.

    The Kaiyuan “Xinjiang-Tibet Highway” cycling team consisted of 15 members from various positions. Aside from two 22-year-old rookies, the rest were in their fifties and sixties. At 62, Chen Miaolin faced harsh weather, age-related issues, and physical discomfort during the ride. At tough moments, he even relied on drinking huoxiang (a traditional herbal remedy) and glucose injections to maintain strength. But no matter what, he never gave up, leading by example and inspiring every member of Kaiyuan.

    Chen Miaolin: Beyond the tests of physical strength and willpower, the biggest takeaway is the importance of teamwork. As I mentioned, there were times I nearly couldn’t go on due to poor health. But then I thought of the team, the over 20,000 employees behind us, and the many netizens following our journey. There was no way I could quit. Others dropping out wouldn’t have made much difference, but if I did, the whole ride would lose its meaning. I had to persevere, so the power of the team is incredibly important.

    During the ride, a person’s character, ability, and mindset all become crystal clear—you really get to see what someone is made of.

    At Kaiyuan, we have someone we call Shen Jianqiang. He’s truly tough. While cycling from Changchun to Hong Kong, he fell in Beidaihe and badly injured his knee. Over the next ten days of riding, he continued with the injury. Imagine, with an inflamed knee, getting IVs after each day’s ride; just as the wound starts healing, a day’s ride tears it open again. To endure such pain daily without strong willpower is nearly impossible.