April 22 is Earth Day. That evening, 20 elderly people dressed in light green arrived in Beijing by bicycle, completing a 1,400-kilometer, 17-day “green journey” from Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, to Beijing. The seniors said they wanted to experience the magnificent landscapes of their country through the most economical means of travel, spread green values, and protect the Earth’s environment.
The elderly cycling team ready to depart — Photo by Qian Jinzhu
The oldest participant was 73 years old, the youngest 54, including six women, all members of the Whenhu Subdistrict Elderly Cycling Tour Team in Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province. On April 6, the team set off from Pinghu, heading northward through Jiangsu. On the 17th, they crossed the Yellow River and arrived as scheduled in the capital, Beijing, on the 22nd. Aside from two electric bicycles used by safety personnel for communication, all other vehicles were pedal bikes. Each bike basket had slogans attached, such as “Call for Cycling” and “Fight Haze.”
Team member Du Dongzhengping said, “Making a trip to Beijing not only exercises my body but also lets me see the new face of our country after reform and opening up.” After resting in Beijing for a few days, the cycling team will continue eastward, passing through Tangshan and Dandong, then taking a ferry from Dalian to Yantai, before cycling southward along the coast of the Yellow Sea back to Pinghu.
The Whenhu Elderly Cycling Tour Team was established in 2003 as a grassroots, self-organized cycling group for seniors. It now has 49 members and remains active in nearby towns year-round, practicing environmentalism through low-carbon travel. Except during heavy rain, they plan Sunday morning trips to nearby towns each week. The first team captain, Cao Genrong, continued participating in rides until the age of 82 in August 2013.
Prior to this northern ride, current team leader Dai Hongming had previously organized trips to seven southern provinces and two special administrative regions, including Hainan and Hong Kong. Last November, ten members of the cycling team rode to Sanqing Mountain in Jiangxi and Wuyi Mountain in Fujian, completing a 22-day, 1,600-plus kilometer round trip through more than 20 counties and cities.