Wang Yunpeng (right) and his fiancée Chen Lu (left) set off fully equipped.
On the 8th, Wang Yunpeng, a 27-year-old from Chengde City, Hebei Province, and his fiancée Chen Lu packed up and set off from the city's Olympic Sports Center to begin their "Project Zero-One"—a bicycle ride to Taiwan, doing volunteer work along the way and promoting low-carbon environmentalism.
Wang Yunpeng graduated in 2009 from Chengde Teachers College (now Hebei Normal University for Nationalities) with a degree in music education. His mother is a cycling enthusiast. In August 2012, Wang Yunpeng got into outdoor cycling through his mother and became a member of the Chengde "Mountain Eagle Cycling Team." Since then, he has spent most weekends and holidays "on the road."
After more than half a year of training, on April 20 of last year, Wang Yunpeng officially began his dream journey—riding a bicycle to Tibet. That day, China News Service reported on Wang Yunpeng in an article titled "Young Man from Chengde, Hebei, Rides Bicycle to Tibet, Hopes to See a New Version of Himself." His Tibet trip lasted 79 days, covering 7,626 kilometers across 9 provinces.
"During the 79 days in Tibet, I encountered wolves and mudslides, overcame altitude sickness, and the hardest part was going days without seeing anyone or having a conversation. I lost 20 pounds when I got back," Wang Yunpeng said. The Tibet trip brought me many rewards—not only challenging my physical strength and perseverance but also pushing my limits. "I felt that after this, no difficulty in life could ever defeat me again."
According to Wang Yunpeng, he met his fiancée Chen Lu because of that report. At the time, Chen Lu was working in Shanghai and was also a cycling enthusiast. After reading the report, she tried every way to get Wang Yunpeng’s contact info. Because they shared the same passion, the two hit it off and started a romantic relationship. On March 28 of this year, Wang Yunpeng successfully proposed to Chen Lu.
On April 8, Wang Yunpeng and Chen Lu will embark on their first long-distance bike trip together: Chengde to Taiwan. According to Wang Yunpeng, they will first cycle to Beijing, join up with their teammates, and then depart collectively from Beijing on the 12th. They will ride along National Highway 104 to Xiamen, fly to Taiwan, tour the island, and then fly back to Xiamen before cycling back to Beijing via National Highway 107. The entire trip is expected to end by the end of June, covering a total distance of over 6,000 kilometers.
"The plan we’ve made for this Taiwan trip is called 'Project Zero-One.' Zero-One represents the process of going from zero to one, from nothing to something, from idea to action," Wang Yunpeng said. No matter what you do, taking the first step is the hardest. Once you take the first step, the second, third, fourth... steps follow. Our lives need passion and the fulfillment of dreams.
"Compared to Tibet, the conditions in Taiwan aren’t as harsh, and the Taiwan cycling route has always been a classic one. It’s just that the entry procedures to Taiwan are very complicated," Wang Yunpeng said. This alone took two months. But that didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for the ride. After "Project Zero-One" was posted online, a total of 12 young people responded. They came from Jiangsu, Anhui, Guangzhou, and other places, with the farthest being a cycling enthusiast from Malaysia.
"If the previous Tibet ride was just about challenging myself and proving myself, then the Taiwan trip is the most meaningful ride yet," Wang Yunpeng said. "We will ride with flags, use our rest time to pick up trash, call on everyone to protect the environment, and advocate for low-carbon living. In addition, we will buy some gifts within our means to visit local welfare centers and orphanages, see the elderly and children, do volunteer work, and chat with them. If conditions allow, we’ll leave a bit of money when we go—we won’t leave much, but it’s the thought that counts."
Regarding this Taiwan trip, Wang Yunpeng is full of confidence. He said, "This is another new journey in life."