“Catcher” Uncle Fan and His Beloved Honda CB-1100.
On “MotorFans,” a popular online hub for motorcycle enthusiasts, an active member from Taiwan goes by the handle “Catcher.” Through the internet, he has made friends with many mainland Chinese bikers. “Catcher,” a retiree from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, is a 61-year-old former civil servant surnamed Fan. Since his youth, he has loved motorcycles but has always kept a low profile, so fellow riders affectionately call him “Uncle Fan.”
Starting in 2010, Uncle Fan began traveling across mainland China by motorcycle. To date, his wheels have rolled through Guangdong, Xinjiang, Gansu, Shanghai, and even the northeast. “When I was in elementary school, my teacher told us that you don’t need to travel around the world—just touring the mainland is enough to make your life worthwhile.” During this year’s National Day holiday, Uncle Fan visited Xiamen, where, with the help of local motorcyclists in southern Fujian, he completed a ride from Xiamen to Meizhou, Guangdong. Through this experience, let’s take a look at his observations and feelings about traveling across the mainland.
Mainland Bikers Offer Kindness Upon First Meeting
“Drifter,” “Zhangzhou Big Beard,” and “Wind Blows Grass” are all motorcyclists from southern Fujian whom Uncle Fan met on the MotorFans website. Though they had never met in person, the four had become close online, almost like family to Uncle Fan in the mainland.
On September 30, Uncle Fan arrived in Xiamen via the “mini three links” and stayed at Mojia Inn, a guesthouse dedicated to serving bikers in Jimei. There, he met “Drifter” and “Zhangzhou Big Beard.” There’s nothing like the joy of old friends reuniting, and with the inn owner A’Tai, the group of like-minded men chatted animatedly.
The next day, Uncle Fan needed to pick up his motorcycle in Anxi Hutou. Due to the National Day holiday, train tickets were hard to come by. A’Tai, despite having only known him for a day, rode his motorcycle over 100 kilometers to Hutou to meet up with “Wind Blows Grass.” “Motorcyclists always help each other out when in trouble. Mainland riders are even more enthusiastic than those in Taiwan. We can also get a sense of someone’s character through forum posts, so it’s rare to come across bad apples.” Uncle Fan remains deeply grateful for A’Tai’s generous help.
Touched by the Drive of Young Mainlanders
“Wind Blows Grass,” a biker from Anxi Hutou, is a teacher. Previously, when Uncle Fan’s motorcycle was shipped to Jinjiang, it was “Wind Blows Grass” who volunteered to pick it up for him and even prepaid over 2,000 yuan on Taobao to order repair parts.
Even though it was their first meeting, “Wind Blows Grass” invited Uncle Fan to his home and treated him warmly. Uncle Fan was deeply moved: “Hosting someone at home is a very sincere gesture.” What impressed him even more was that “Wind Blows Grass” could also fix motorcycles. “In Taiwan, when bikers have maintenance issues, they usually just take their bikes to shops. But many mainland riders can change tires and do repairs themselves.” Because of a mechanical issue, “Wind Blows Grass” and Uncle Fan spent three days troubleshooting before finally solving the problem.
On the 4th, as Uncle Fan was preparing to leave Anxi, “Wind Blows Grass” took him to visit a tea farmer relative to try some tea. For the first time, Uncle Fan experienced riding on what he described as a “terrifying” mountain road, which gave him a deeper appreciation for the hardships faced by tea farmers. “They even carry 100-kilogram gas tanks on their motorcycles. Riding here is harder than getting a driver’s license.” Uncle Fan gained an even greater understanding of the hardworking spirit of mainlanders: “The spirit of the young people here is something we can learn from.”
Enjoying Motorcycle Travel and Scenic Views Along the Way
After returning to Xiamen by motorcycle and regrouping with the convoy, ten bikes set off together for Meizhou. The National Day holiday would see a motorcycle tourism carnival held there.
But this highly anticipated biker celebration saw some planned activities scaled back, prompting complaints on the website. Uncle Fan said, “Why ride a motorcycle? It’s to experience nature and real human culture, not just for a party at the destination. ‘Driving moves the body, but riding moves the soul.’”
On the way back, Uncle Fan stopped by Yongding Tulou in Longyan and didn’t miss a trip to Gulangyu Island in Xiamen. After walking for over two hours, he was most fascinated by the various colonial-style buildings.
On October 8, the journey came to an end, and Uncle Fan returned safely to his home in Taiwan. He also began posting online to share his travel insights. Uncle Fan said he plans to embark on a major riding trip across the mainland at least once a year in the future, as he is determined to fulfill his dream of touring the entire mainland.