The breathtaking scenery left Yang Leiguang reluctant to leave.
Read tip: At 21 years old, Yang Leiguang is a junior in college and yearns for a spontaneous journey. This bespectacled young man who loves blue skies and white clouds accomplished something this summer that seemed impossible to his classmates. In July, Yang Leiguang set off alone from Luoyang and headed straight for Tibet. For the entire trip, aside from transportation costs, he only brought 500 yuan — he wanted to “travel to Tibet on a shoestring.” A month later, Yang Leiguang returned. Though he had lost 7 pounds, he felt it was worth it. Back at school, he printed photos taken during the trip as postcards, wrote encouraging messages on them, and sold them on campus, which were well received by his fellow students.
Deciding to challenge himself with a 500-yuan Tibet trip
Yang Leiguang is a junior in the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Henan University of Science and Technology. He loves blue skies, white clouds, travel, and photography. Speaking about the trip, Yang Leiguang said that he had decided a year ago to go to Tibet alone.
To prepare for this long-cherished journey, Yang Leiguang started exercising and browsing online information about Tibet. Eventually, he made a travel plan. “With Lhasa as the center, then radiating outwards. Aside from transportation costs, I’m only bringing 500 yuan to travel to Tibet on a budget,” Yang Leiguang said. He wanted to try a different way of traveling and challenge himself.
On July 4, Yang Leiguang packed his backpack, took a bus to Zhengzhou, and boarded a train directly to Tibet. After two days and two nights, he arrived in Lhasa. “The sky feels so low, almost within reach.” Although the high altitude made him slightly uncomfortable, he was very excited.
Constant setbacks on the road, eating just one meal a day
Yang Leiguang stayed in Lhasa for a week. Before setting off, he planned to work part-time to earn money while traveling. After staying at a local hostel, he visited attractions around Lhasa. But within a few days, his money was almost gone.
“During that time, I ate only one meal a day,” Yang Leiguang said. Later, unable to continue, he worked as a waiter at a fast-food restaurant in Lhasa, handed out flyers, and so on. He earned some living expenses through odd jobs. Later, a backpacker inspired him: “You can buy things wholesale at the market and sell them near scenic spots — you can make quite a bit of money.” So, Yang Leiguang also bought some goods wholesale and set up a stall with the backpacker.
By earning money through part-time work, Yang Leiguang regrouped. Together with eight other backpackers, he hiked and hitchhiked to Yamdrok Lake. Along the way, they walked and switched vehicles five times before reaching the lake. That night, the group camped by Yamdrok Lake. Because of the cold at night, Yang Leiguang lent his sleeping bag to a female traveler and spent the night wearing only a down jacket. After returning to Lhasa from Yamdrok Lake, Yang Leiguang continued on his own. He visited Gongbo'gyamda, Nyingchi, and the forest sea of Lumo, among other places.
After spending a month in Tibet, Yang Leiguang boarded the train back home. “I didn’t expect there to be so many challenges on the trip, but I managed to get through them all,” he said. When he got home, he still had a few dozen yuan left.
Preparing for graduation trip, planning to backpack abroad
During the Tibet trip, Yang Leiguang took a large number of travel photos. Back at school, he printed these photos as postcards, added some inspiring words, and gave them to friends. At the same time, he also set up a street stall on campus to sell these “achievements” from the trip, which were popular with students.
“This trip has been very beneficial to me,” Yang Leiguang said. He met many friends with amazing stories, and the budget travel experience also pushed him to challenge himself and improved his survival skills. The budget travel experience also helped him build up those survival abilities.
As for his next plan, Yang Leiguang has already