“I’ve always wanted to cycle across the country, and now only the northwest remains.” On November 22, after passing through 9 provinces and autonomous regions and cycling 6,256 km, 72-year-old Jin Fu returned to his hometown of Dunhua City. He said he’s not too old and plans to cycle to Gansu and Qinghai when he gets the chance.
Jin Fu is a retired worker from a pickle factory in Dunhua City. He said he has been running consistently since he was young and never stopped. In 2007, he and his friends cycled through the three northeastern provinces. In 2010, he went to Hainan, and the two trips gave him plenty of experience.
“The road bike I used before is no longer good, so I saved up for two years to buy a mountain bike.” The elderly man said his retirement salary is not high, and his life is simple. After buying the bike, he had only 1,300 yuan left in cash.
On August 25, Jin Fu set off on his third journey with 1,300 yuan, his salary card, a few changes of clothes, a sleeping bag, medicine, maps, and his newly bought mountain bike.
Jin Fu said his plan this time was to start from Jilin Province, then pass through Liaoning Province, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hebei Province, Shanxi Province, Shaanxi Province, Sichuan Province, Guizhou Province, and finally reach Kunming, Yunnan.
But shortly after setting off, his travel companion had to drop out due to personal reasons. “From Hebei Province onward, it was just me.” Jin Fu said.
Although he thought he should try local snacks when visiting a new place, he didn’t have much money and had to be frugal every day. He didn’t mind. “I was more afraid of encountering bad people, but unexpectedly, everyone I met along the way was kind, and their help meant a lot to me.” Jin Fu said that in Hebei Province, the weather was hot, so he unbuttoned his shirt, but that night he came down with a fever. The hotel staff learned that the elderly man had a cold and made him a big pot of ginger sugar water. “I sweated a lot and felt better the next day.” the elderly man said.
In Yunnan, one time when the elderly man was eating, he met two girls who learned he had cycled from Jilin Province. The two girls were especially impressed. “When it came time to pay, the girls said, ‘Grandpa, let us treat you to this meal—you don’t need to pay.’” Jin Fu said.
Jin Fu said that before setting off, he spent a long time persuading his daughter. At first, she didn’t agree, worried about his safety, but eventually, she couldn’t resist her stubborn father and gave in.
“During the day, I turn off my phone—it’s not convenient to answer calls while cycling. I call once every night.” Jin Fu said that after his wife passed away ten years ago, his eldest daughter has been especially caring toward him. For this trip, his daughter spent over a thousand yuan on phone bills alone.
“When I got to Kunming, I still had 500 yuan left in my card. Worried it wouldn’t be enough, I told my daughter.” His daughter immediately transferred 2,000 yuan to his card and booked a flight from Kunming to Changchun for him. “I didn’t expect those 500 yuan to actually be enough.” the elderly man said.
When he reached Kunming, the mileage counter on his mountain bike showed that Jin Fu had cycled 6,256 km. In three months, passing through 9 provinces and autonomous regions, experiencing two colds, and living frugally all the way, not counting the flight ticket his daughter booked, Jin Fu only spent a total of 8,000 yuan. The elderly man said he gained a lot along the way. “First, my health improved—I feel I can go even farther. Second, I met many cycling friends, and the time we spent together was very joyful. Most importantly, I met many kind people who made me feel very warm.”
“Tibet is too high in altitude—I’m afraid my body can’t handle it, so I won’t consider it.” Jin Fu said he plans to go out again and explore the northwest region, but he needs to save up some money first. “I don’t think I’m too old—I can still go out and travel.”