The couple poses for a photo in front of the Potala Palace
A Labor of Love: Conquering the Snowy Plateau
Zhang Chunkai and his wife Chen Yongli are both 60 years old this year. Zhang, a freelancer in photography-related work, and Chen, who worked at a local neighborhood committee before retirement. As a member of the China Photographers Association, Zhang spent much of his younger years traveling across the country for photography, leaving his wife to manage everything at home. “I thought that once she retired and had more time, I’d definitely take her around to see the beautiful sights—to make up for all the years she managed the household,” Zhang said.
In 2011, the couple took their first long trip, heading to western Sichuan and northern Yunnan, covering nearly 8,000 kilometers in their daughter’s Nissan X-Trail, which had just finished its break-in period. Just the two of them and the stunning scenery ignited a passion for road trips. Zhang said that deep-driving tours into Tibet are a major test of physical strength and endurance, with both hardship and joy along the way. On June 16 last year, Zhang and his wife set off from Suzhou, entering Tibet via National Highway 318 (Sichuan-Tibet route), touring areas such as Motuo, Everest, and Ngari, then returning via National Highway 219 starting from Yecheng in Xinjiang, traveling the Xinjiang-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet routes back to inland China, arriving back in Suzhou on July 31. The entire trip covered about 16,000 kilometers. After this journey, the couple managed to cover the Qinghai-Tibet, Northern Sichuan-Tibet, Southern Sichuan-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet, and Xinjiang-Tibet routes within three years, achieving the “grand slam” of all five major Tibet access routes.
Close Calls on the Road: Husband Always Protects His Wife
Snow-capped mountains, glaciers, grasslands, and wetlands… While admiring the stunning scenery, their high-altitude adventure was also fraught with danger. Chen Yongli still remembers the “most terrifying day,” which still gives her chills when she recalls it. It happened near Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan when the couple, planning to rest briefly at a gas station, grew suspicious of a slowly approaching white sedan. “The driver was bald with a tattoo on the back of his hand, and there were four thugs inside the car—just a bad vibe all around.” Zhang wanted to drive away, but the white sedan relentlessly followed them to a makeshift parking lot. Encountering robbers in the pitch-black night sent chills down the couple’s spines. Hiding in the parking lot, Zhang turned off the car lights, started the engine, and had his wife pretend to chat with a small restaurant chef while keeping an eye on the robbers’ movements. In the end, the couple slipped away unnoticed, following closely behind a black Great Wall pickup truck without turning on their headlights. “There were at least two cars parked along the road shining their high beams directly at us. If I hadn’t followed that black pickup, we would’ve been stopped,” Chen recalled. It wasn’t until they reached a police checkpoint outside the town that she finally calmed down.
The elderly couple also faced life-or-death challenges at a snowy mountain pass near Mount Meili. The harsh icy conditions caused Zhang’s four-wheel-drive vehicle to get stuck on the roadside. With the road back also icy and the risk of freezing to death if they stayed put, Zhang chose to take a risk alone. Pretending to check the road, he asked his wife to get out first, then slowly drove toward the pass, eventually making it to the top. “If anything happened to me, at least the family would have someone to rely on,” Zhang’s casual words deeply moved Chen.
Planning to Publish Journals and Drive Through Europe
After each road trip back to Suzhou, Zhang Chunkai would write about their experiences, emotions, and driving tips in the form of travel blogs, accompanied by hundreds of carefully taken photos, sharing them on forums with other netizens. Due to their popularity, Zhang’s travel journals have caught the attention of a publisher and are set to be published. Currently, one-third of the book is complete. Reflecting on these years, Zhang said his goal was to live a meaningful retirement. After a period of rest, the couple has even more exciting plans—they hope to embark on a self-drive tour of Europe together, and if they still have the energy and stamina, they might venture even farther. Meanwhile, Chen, who used to fear traveling, has now fallen in love with it and is full of confidence for the next journey: “We even ate instant noodles that wouldn’t cook properly at altitudes over 3,500 meters—what’s there left to be afraid of?” Chen’s adorable remark made Zhang laugh heartily. As one “travel fan” put it, it’s not that young people don’t have time, but rather that they lack the courage to challenge and enjoy life. Perhaps after reading the travel story of Zhang Chunkai and his wife, more people will find the inspiration to hit the road and explore.