Chen Zhensen, a student from Dongguan University of Technology, on his cycling journey.
During this summer vacation, Chen Zhensen and Huang Tao from Dongguan University of Technology cycled from Dongguan to Beijing in 38 days, covering 4,000 km, and raised over 4,000 free lunches for underprivileged schoolchildren along the way. However, the journey was also full of "V challenges" — the two were chased by dogs multiple times, had train tickets stolen, and experienced many other difficulties.
Received lots of support from "couchsurfers" along the way
They set off on January 11, 2014, and arrived in Beijing on February 18, taking a total of 38 days.
"Each of us carried two bags, one weighing 20 jin and the other 40 jin. It's very cold in the north, so most of the weight was clothes, plus sleeping bags, laptops, and cameras," Chen Zhensen said. "Before setting off, we contacted over 20 'couchsurfers' online who offered us accommodation. So we were always in a rush, usually cycling more than 10 hours a day, often riding until one or two in the morning before finding a place to rest. Flat tires were common during the ride — my bike had over 20 flats, all fixed by ourselves with the tools we carried."
For overnight stays, they either stayed with pre-arranged "couchsurfers" or found the cheapest hotels. "Without the help of 'couchsurfers,' I really don’t know if I could have made it," Huang Tao said. "The most memorable time was in Shantou. A 'couchsurfer' had prepared hotpot at home for us. But because of bike problems, we didn’t arrive until 2 a.m., and didn’t finish eating until 4 a.m. The next day, he even took us to his friend’s shop to get the bikes fixed for free."
Netizens on Weibo promised to donate if they made it to Beijing
Where they couldn’t find "couchsurfers," they usually opted for the cheapest hotels. "We mostly stayed near bus or train stations where small hotels are plentiful — you can get a room for 50 yuan a night."
Meals were also a big challenge during the trip. They usually spent just 20 yuan per meal — ordering a vegetable dish and a few bowls of rice or mantou to get by. After over a month, each of them had lost 10 jin.
When they reached Lianyungang, Huang Tao, who was cycling long distances for the first time, had health issues. "Chen Zhensen had cycled to Tibet twice before. This was my first long-distance bike trip. My legs became stiff and I couldn’t move. It was snowing, and after sweating from cycling, the cold wind froze my whole body. I ended up buying a train ticket to Beijing to wait for him. I urged Chen Zhensen to give up, but he insisted on continuing."
From Lianyungang to Beijing, nearly 1,500 km, Chen Zhensen did it alone. "It was lonely, but I never thought of giving up. First, our original plan was to reach Beijing, and I didn’t want to quit halfway. Second, the main purpose of this ride was to raise free lunches for underprivileged children. Many people on Weibo promised to donate if I made it to Beijing."
A CEO of a Sichuan pharmaceutical company donated 6,000 yuan
The main goal of their China cycling trip was to raise funds for free lunches. "Before setting off, we contacted the Beijing headquarters of the 'Free Lunch' charity, made promotional banners and flags, and set up a charity account on Sina Weibo to call for donations," Huang Tao said. "The response from netizens was enthusiastic — we raised a total of 12,000 yuan. At 3 yuan per lunch, that equals over 4,000 free lunches for children in impoverished areas. But contrary to our expectations, businesses along the way weren’t very interested in the activity. I tried contacting large local companies via Weibo and online at every stop, but got almost no response. Only the CEO of a pharmaceutical company in Sichuan donated 6,000 yuan, which was the largest single donation."
On the return trip, Chen Zhensen also ran into trouble. "I was taking a train back to Guangzhou and got off in Changsha to buy a boxed meal. When I got back on, a few people crowded and pulled at me, and in a blink, my wallet was stolen. My money, bank cards, and train ticket were all gone. When I got to Guangzhou station, the staff asked me to buy another ticket. I even told a little white lie, saying it was my first time in Guangzhou and I had no relatives or friends to send me money. I also got a train police officer to confirm I’d been robbed before they let me exit. Two kind passengers next to me gave me 25 yuan, which allowed me to take the subway to find a friend."
Chen Zhensen said, "After successfully cycling to Beijing, Deng Fei, the founder of the Free Lunch project, came to meet us, gave us both his new book 'Soft Power Changes China,' and inscribed it: 'Cycled to Beijing, Dongguan’s positive energy.'"
Love · Perseverance
Please donate through the Weibo charity account
Now that school has started, Chen Zhensen and Huang Tao are preparing to establish a Free Lunch Dongguan workstation. "We want to make this charity activity a long-term effort on campus. We’re currently applying to the school for a location and also trying to secure some startup funding," Huang Tao said. "On the road, I deeply felt that society is not lacking in compassion, but rather in a convenient and trustworthy way to contribute. In places like Huizhou and Xiamen, with the help of local 'couchsurfers,' we put up banners in busy urban areas to promote the cause. Many people wanted to donate on the spot, but to maintain fairness, we generally didn’t accept cash and instead directed them to donate online through the charity account."
Chen Zhensen said, "I also really want to keep this project going long-term. When I was cycling in Tibet before, I met many six- or seven-year-old kids by the roadside, looking hopefully at passersby, hoping for some food. At first, I would carry candies, stationery, and food to give out to them. Later, I heard that doing so isn’t ideal — if you keep giving, they might start snatching things when you don’t, forming bad habits. That’s when I thought, is there a more professional way to help these kids? This time, we made a good attempt: we generally didn’t accept on-site donations, but called for donations through the Weibo charity account. All donations were transferred to the Free Lunch project, and the use of every donation was publicly disclosed online. It’s very transparent."
The support from people along the way still made the two students feel very warm. "On the first day in Huizhou, when we were promoting the Free Lunch project on the street, an elderly man said, 'As long as China has young people like us, there is hope.' It instantly filled us with determination." ——— Chen Zhensen