The winter vacation has ended, and today schools in Nanjing officially resumed classes. As children reunited, they inevitably shared stories about their winter break. This time, Li Xiaoyang’s tale is likely to make many of his classmates envious.
This winter vacation, the 12-year-old boy and his father cycled around Taiwan, covering a total of over 800 kilometers in 6 days. Notably, during the trip, he promoted the Youth Olympics along the way and collected 181 signatures in support of the event.
A Unique Winter Vacation
Father and Son Cycle Around Taiwan
Li Xiaoyang, a sixth-grade student (Class 3) from Youfu West Street Primary School, is 12 years old this year, stands about 1.6 meters tall, and is somewhat introverted.
Yesterday morning, in a classroom at the school, he told reporters about this unusual winter break. Over a month before the holiday, the father and son had already discussed the idea of cycling in Taiwan. On New Year’s Eve at dawn, the family flew to Taoyuan Airport in Taipei. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, they rented public bikes to explore downtown Taipei and Tamsui, where the father and son played soccer with local university students, winning 4-0—with Xiaoyang scoring one goal.
From then on, the father and son began their official cycling journey, while the mother took a train south and arranged her own schedule. From the third to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, starting in Hualien, passing through Yuli and Taitung, and finally reaching Kenting, they cycled over 90 kilometers each day for about ten hours—challenging yet full of surprises. On the sixth and seventh days, they spent one day each exploring Kenting and Kaohsiung; from the eighth to the tenth day, starting in Kaohsiung and passing through Tainan and Taichung, they cycled approximately 90 kilometers each day, finally concluding their trip with a loop ride around Sun Moon Lake.
Falling and Getting Rained On
Promoting the Youth Olympics Along the Way
Cycling is not new to the father and son, as they had previously ridden in many places such as Anhui, Shanghai, and Zhenjiang, not to mention the areas near Nanjing. However, this trip was different. “Previously, the roads we rode on were flat and wide, mostly smooth sailing. This time, it was narrow, winding mountain roads that were physically demanding, and everything was unfamiliar—we had to rely on navigation and ask locals for directions along the way,” said Li Wanqing.
Even the father found the ride “tough,” so naturally, Xiaoyang endured plenty of hardship. On the first day of cycling, to avoid some stones on the road, he fell and then got caught in the rain. After getting completely soaked, the two had to stop midway to change into dry clothes and waited for the rain to stop before continuing. Unexpectedly, it started raining again, and wearing thin raincoats, they got soaked once more—this time with no spare clothes to change into. Due to the delay caused by the rain, they were also getting hungry.
The second day was the toughest. To cycle along the coastline and see the Pacific Ocean, the father and son had to switch from Provincial Highway 9 to Provincial Highway 11. However, the distance between these two routes wasn’t direct—they had to ride up along winding mountain roads. With slopes reaching 70 degrees, cycling became impossible, so they had to get off and push their bikes uphill. The third day left the deepest impression on Xiaoyang because, while crossing the Taiwan Strait, they encountered strong downslope winds. These winds were unpredictable in direction but extremely powerful, knocking Xiaoyang down several times. In the end, the father and son had to hold onto each other’s shoulders just to reach their destination safely.
Despite the arduous journey, Xiaoyang felt it was well worth it. “The Taiwanese people are very warm, and the scenery along the way was beautiful—things I had never seen before, like Yangmingshan, the Huatung Valley, and the blue Pacific Ocean,” Xiaoyang said.
Notably, throughout the cycling trip, Li Xiaoyang was collecting signatures in support of the Youth Olympics. Along the way, he promoted the Youth Olympic Games to strangers—both locals and tourists, including foreigners—and collected a total of 181 signatures. “Two years ago, when we cycled in Shanghai, we started collecting them. By the end of the Taiwan trip, we had reached our initial goal of 2014 signatures. We plan to turn these signatures into a banner and present it to the Youth Olympics organizing committee,” Li Wanqing explained.
Father: Cycling Is More Valuable Than Studying Math Olympiad
Li Xiaoyang has been cycling for four years, starting at the age of eight. Li Wanqing still remembers how, during their first cycling trip to Anhui, his eight-year-old son fell on a dusty road—and instead of helping him up, he let his son get up on his own.
When asked why he chose to take his son cycling, Li Wanqing told reporters that he enjoys sports and wanted to use cycling to build his son’s physical strength and willpower. “I believe non-intellectual factors are more valuable than intellectual ones. Many kids study math Olympiad, but I didn’t let him. Although he was a bit unhappy about it, I believe he’ll understand in the future. As a boy, having an open personality and strong willpower is the foundation of life,” Li Wanqing said.
While many children spend their winter vacation at home watching TV or playing games, 12-year-old Li Xiaoyang chose to go on a 6-day cycling adventure with his father. This kind of physical and mental training is undoubtedly more meaningful than traditional school education. As parents, perhaps we should learn from his family’s approach, allowing young eaglets to soar freely under the blue sky.