Yesterday, Li Kaijia cycled through the Dongqian Lake bicycle path, stopping occasionally to take photos.
Yesterday, the weather was sunny and breezy. Wearing a protective helmet and a vibrant orange outfit, Li Kaijia rode his “treasured bike” nimbly along the Dongqian Lake cycling lane.
This elderly man, over 70 years old, set out alone from Dandong, Liaoning on October 13, traveling along the coast for 10,000 kilometers, heading straight for Zhanjiang, Guangdong. Ningbo was a stopover city during his journey, where he stayed for two days specifically to experience a lakeside cycling trip and took photos as souvenirs.
This morning at 6 a.m., just as dawn broke, Li Kaijia got back on his bike, carrying his dreams, and continued on to the next stop, Ninghai.
The coastal ride is a birthday gift the elderly man gave himself
Li Kaijia is from Yulin, Guangxi. In the 11 years since his retirement, he has devoted much of his time to cycling and has built up excellent endurance for long-distance rides.
Earlier this year, he came up with the idea of cycling solo along the coastline. “This is my first long-distance solo ride, from Dandong to Zhanjiang, covering nearly 6,700 kilometers, which I plan to complete within two months.” It turns out that December 31 is Li Kaijia’s 72nd birthday, and the coastal ride is his birthday gift to himself.
To make his dream come true, he spent 10,000 yuan on a mountain bike and consulted professional instructors at a cycling club, spending eight months on intensive training.
On October 13, he set off from Dandong, heading for Zhanjiang, carrying only a map, a change of clothes, and a bag of repair tools. “The gear isn’t very professional, but it’s sufficient.”
Over the next 21 days, he traveled through five provinces—Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang—before stopping in Ningbo.
His impression is that Ningbo and Qingdao are the most beautiful
“I usually set off around 6:30 a.m. each day, cycle about 100 kilometers, grab some food from a roadside stall, then find a hotel to stay in. I spend less than 100 yuan a day.” During the trip, Li Kaijia admired the most beautiful scenery of each city along the way. When inspired, he would take photos to mark his journey. Among them, Ningbo and Qingdao left the strongest impressions on him.
He gave himself two months to complete the entire journey. “I hope to have more time to experience the local culture and customs.”
Despite an otherwise smooth trip, Li Kaijia faced the trouble of taking wrong routes. “Although I bought the latest map, cities change so quickly that the roads on the map often don’t match the real ones.” Whenever he asked locals for directions, he was often misdirected and ended up circling around the city. He joked that he should keep up with the times and bring a navigation-enabled phone on future trips.
Everything is possible with effort
To others, long-distance cycling may seem unimaginable, but Li Kaijia believes that anything is possible with effort. Yulin is known as the home of bicycles, and having loved bikes since childhood, he joined a group of fellow retirees after retiring.
At first, they would meet up on weekends to cycle to the suburbs and return the same day. After several years of training, Li Kaijia turned his attention to long-distance rides.
In 2005, he and three cycling friends planned to ride along the China-Vietnam border, covering more than 1,300 kilometers. At the time, he was riding a regular bicycle, venturing out with sheer courage. One day, it got dark and he couldn’t find a hotel, so he had to call his son for help. It took over four hours before someone came to pick him up.
With that experience, he started preparing thoroughly for every subsequent trip to handle any emergencies.
The support of his family has given him great motivation throughout his long rides. “Every night during this trip, my family calls me. I can sense their worry in our conversations, but they still support my decision.” Li Kaijia said the coastal ride is just one part of his cycling journey, and he hopes to visit many more places. “Maybe by the time I’m 80, I won’t be able to ride anymore.”
“If possible, I hope to leave my cycling tracks on the Sichuan-Tibet route next summer,” Li Kaijia said, looking at the lake and making a wish.