An 80s-born young man's solo cycling journey.
In 2011, Du Fengyan set off from Nanning, Guangxi, and after two years of cycling, he arrived in South Africa. This journey spanned the continents of Asia and Africa, involving life-and-death challenges, solitude, breathtaking scenery, and experiences of foreign cultures...
All these experiences, both real and surreal, may seem unbelievable in retrospect but feel vividly close. Excitement, disappointment, loneliness, joy, gratitude, surprises—these emotions would appear without warning along the way, and all the traveler could do was overcome obstacles and appreciate kindness.
A famous French science fiction writer once penned a novel called "Around the World in Eighty Days." In the past, traveling around the world seemed out of reach, and such stories were labeled as science fiction. Nowadays, you can easily find guidebooks in bookstores teaching you how to visit dozens of countries around the globe.
Traveling around the world has become an achievable dream for many.
In 2011, Du Fengyan set off from Nanning, Guangxi, and cycled through Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan... totaling 22 countries, before finally arriving in South Africa. On October 24, this 80s-born young man returned to Beijing. For about two years, his cycling route mostly passed through rural areas, costing him around 40,000 yuan in total. During the trip, he mainly stayed in tents, used couchsurfing websites, or lodged with locals. Now, he has returned home to rest and hopes to help more people realize their dreams of traveling the world in the future.
Courage: Scaring off robbers with Chinese kung fu
Du Fengyan said, “All kinds of things happened during the ride, and I came close to various dangers. I was once hit by a bullet casing, but luckily I made it through safely.” Such experiences were less of a journey and more of an adventure. The ancients had the boldness to travel the world with swords, and today, one can dare to venture out with just a bicycle and a backpack. Du Fengyan’s journey wasn’t exactly fraught with eighty-one trials, but it was full of twists, turns, and surprises.
Before setting off, he did a lot of preparation, including anticipating possible difficulties and planning corresponding solutions. He researched the countries he would pass through, prepared bicycle parts, studied road conditions, and packed a GPS, among other things. Even so, no amount of preparation could cover everything. Sometimes, even with a general understanding of a country, unexpected robbers might appear along the way. Having bicycle parts didn’t help if there were no tools to fix them, and knowing the roads and having a GPS didn’t prevent detours due to road repairs. In bustling areas, food and lodging weren’t a concern, but desolate places were inevitable. To avoid hunger, cold, or wild animal attacks, he had to figure things out on his own.
“Difficulties are common. The key is how to overcome them. No matter how well you prepare, there will always be gaps. When facing challenges, maintaining a positive mindset and adapting on the fly is what’s needed on the road.” For instance, when confronted by robbers, he scared them off using Chinese kung fu. He encountered quite a few robbers along the way, most of whom were teenagers. In their eyes, Chinese people all knew kung fu, so the threat worked. He had learned martial arts at home since childhood and had also studied under a master in Beijing. His martial arts skills unexpectedly proved useful during the trip.
Joy: Embracing local customs and experiencing cultural differences
“Most of the time, I cycled through rural areas, interacting daily with locals, learning about their customs and culture, experiencing their way of life, and quickly integrating into their communities. Differences were inevitable, but they never upset me. If you cling to your own preconceptions and refuse to understand or accept the local culture, you won’t enjoy these joys. Along the way, I ate local food, learned local etiquette and language, shared accommodations and conversations with locals, and exchanged ideas and feelings. The process was usually joyful. By bringing them happiness, I found happiness myself. If you can understand and respect the local culture, the locals will treat you the same way. I also met many travelers who looked down on local food, discriminated against Black locals, thought their culture and lifestyle were backward, disliked their perceived untidiness, and avoided interacting with them. As a result, they themselves found little joy in the journey.” As Du Fengyan said, traveling indeed requires a positive mindset—to experience the novelty around you as an explorer, not to criticize it as a judge. Embracing local customs is not only a sign of respect for the locals but also allows you to see the many facets of the same thing.
Loneliness: Cycling is a long process of endurance
Undoubtedly, cycling through desolate places brings a deep sense of loneliness. Looking around, shouting yields no response.
The steppes of Armenia, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, the edge of the Sahara Desert in Sudan, the northeastern part of Ethiopia—the hottest place on Earth, Djibouti and Somaliland, the northern part of Namibia... These were some of the desolate places Du Fengyan passed through. For him, after cycling for three or four months, a so-called “traveler’s syndrome” would set in, and the feeling of loneliness became pronounced. “Desolate places do feel lonely. Cycling is a long process of endurance, and it gets better with time. Fortunately, I could adjust and recover in time.”
There were times when he cycled alone, but also opportunities to cycle with companions. During his Southeast Asian journey, Du Fengyan mostly cycled alone, though he rode with friends for tens of kilometers in Vietnam and about 200 kilometers in Cambodia. In Iran, he cycled with another rider, who later continued into Europe via Turkey. In Kenya, he met a fellow cyclist—a post-90s young man—and together they cycled to South Africa. For the rest of the time, he cycled alone, occasionally meeting cyclists from other countries and riding with them for a few days.
Actually, along the way, he met many people who shared his passion. Most of their routes went from Southeast Asia through the Middle East to North Africa, and then to Africa. The route from Cairo to Cape Town is also popular, with many people traveling it by car, motorcycle, or bicycle. “The Cairo-to-Cape Town route is actually quite famous internationally, but very few people in China know about it,” Du Fengyan said, something he only learned after starting his ride.
Gratitude: Accepting kindness while spreading positivity
Many tourists flock to Africa’s grasslands for the famous great migrations, and for Du Fengyan, visiting national parks in African countries to see wildlife was also a long-held desire. However, with the help of others, his wish was fulfilled.
From Kenya to Tanzania, through Uganda and Rwanda, although he cycled through several national parks along the way, he only saw some common animals, and not in large numbers. The high park entry fees posed a significant barrier for a budget traveler like him, and the prohibition on cycling inside the parks added another obstacle. During his ride, Du Fengyan met a fellow Shandong native who was repairing roads. With the help of these kind-hearted people, he finally achieved his goal of seeing wildlife in national parks.
Accepting help from others is a common occurrence during travels. While receiving generous assistance, Du Fengyan also hoped to use his own strength to help those in need. “I hope to do my small part to help those in need and spread some positivity. Today’s society is full of restlessness, moral decline, and negativity. I want to do what I can to change that, such as helping build a school for children in a rural area of Somalia.”
Du Fengyan’s plan to travel around the world has now completed the Asia-to-Africa leg. The next phase of his plan will be realized gradually in the future. For now, he plans to focus more on family and life. “After traveling all this way, I’ve realized that what we should truly cherish are the loved ones and friends around us.”