This summer, Chen Yue, a junior at Guangxi Normal University, noticed that suddenly many of her friends had joined the “budget travel” crowd.
A year ago, 22-year-old Chen Yue traveled to Tibet alone by hitchhiking for 29 days. She documented this experience in a diary she shared in a “hiking group,” which inspired many of her friends. This summer vacation, seven of her classmates were influenced by her and also embarked on budget travel journeys—some hitchhiked to Tibet, some cycled along the Sichuan-Tibet route, and others rode as passengers to Yunnan.
Chen Yue and her classmates are just a microcosm of the recent “budget travel” trend among college students. Every holiday, a large number of students choose this “brave journeying, simple travel” method to start a trip related to their dreams.
According to Kai Pengcheng, head of the Shanghai VIVA Traveler Club, there are at least 50 similar youth travel organizations in Shanghai, most of which have emerged in the past two years. These organizations see around 1,000 participants in budget travel each year. “Every day of the ‘budget travel’ experience brings freshness, and that’s what makes it addictive,” said Kai Pengcheng.
On the official Weibo account of the travel social network “Jianren.com” (“Pickup People”), there are dozens of posts daily like “Seeking travel companions for budget trips to Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, and Xishuangbanna. Tomboy, sophomore.” or “I’m starting my sophomore year, planning a one-month budget trip to Tibet by hitchhiking, seeking companions to ride along.”
The media is also full of reports about various “budget travel experts.” China Youth Daily reporters noted that during this summer vacation alone, there were multiple reports such as “Post-90s College Student Travels Six Provinces in 35 Days by Hitchhiking,” “Shijiazhuang University Graduate Budget Travels to 4 Countries for Just 3,300 Yuan,” and “8 College Students Spend Zero on a Thousand-Mile Trip, Enjoying 4 Days in Changsha,” documenting this wave of college student budget travel.
China Youth Daily reporters found in interviews that the main demographic of current “budget travelers” is primarily from the post-80s and post-90s generations, with traits like “individuality,” “independence,” and “a longing for freedom” being especially prominent—traits that align well with budget travel culture.
Lin Jiali, who graduated this year from Guangdong Vocational College of Science and Trade, chose not to seek immediate employment but instead asked her parents if she could spend two years traveling on a budget to see the world. “I’ve traveled with my parents before, but it was just taking photos at scenic spots and doing a superficial tour. That’s not the kind of travel I want,” said Lin Jiali.
After getting her parents’ approval, destinations like Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hainan, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Jiangsu became her budget travel stops. She also hitchhiked from Yunnan to Tibet, spending 40 days and 3,000 yuan.
Lin Jiali believes the reason she chooses budget travel is that the people she meets and the stories she hears while hitchhiking can be enlightening. “In a completely unfamiliar environment, you can let go of your fears and try waving at passing cars. When you come back, people around you think you’re amazing. That sense of achievement is ‘awesome,’ something you can’t get from other types of travel,” said Lin Jiali. Her thoughts reflect the sentiments of many post-80s and post-90s budget travelers.
In fact, the rising trend of budget travel in China is not a new phenomenon. As early as the 1950s, the United States saw a surge in young people hitting the road, thumbing rides to travel. The famous American road novel of the 1950s, “On the Road,” tells the story of a group of young students hitchhiking or driving across North America to reflect on life. “In the 1950s, the rapid economic development in the U.S. drove material pursuits. In that social atmosphere, a group of writers expressed their aversion to this trend through their works. They sought to show their passion for life by constantly embarking on adventurous journeys and experiencing new things. The current popularity of budget travel among Chinese youth may also be related to China’s socioeconomic development reaching a certain stage,” said Dong Xingsheng, a graduate student at Guangxi Teachers Education University.
Additionally, the popularity of books related to budget travel has given rise to professional budget travelers. After the renowned traveler Gu Yue’s book “Hitchhiking to Berlin” became a hit in China, last September, he and his partners attempted a “zero-yuan domestic trip,” documenting it as a travel documentary online. “Although the documentary includes some subtle commercial ads, that’s not important. The film shows us the hardships and romance of budget travel, making us feel happiness and hope—that’s enough,” commented netizen “Konggu.”
The allure of budget travel is motivating more young adventurers to hit the road. At the same time, some believe that certain individuals joining the budget travel trend are simply following the crowd blindly. Without adequate preparation, such behavior is irresponsible toward one’s own safety and exploits public goodwill.
Chen Jun, leader of the Shanghai Xianfeng Outdoor Sports Club, believes that while budget travel has low costs and is suitable for young people with limited income to realize their travel dreams, it often fails to deliver a satisfying travel experience and involves many unexpected factors and higher risks. “The ‘budget travel craze’ needs to slow down a bit,” said Chen Jun.
China Youth Daily reporters found that many travelers with budget travel experience didn’t even purchase personal accident insurance before setting off. Moreover, during hitchhiking, there are almost no safety agreements between drivers and passengers, making it difficult to assign responsibility in case of accidents. In response, Douban user “Bone Uncle” suggested that drivers should do two things before giving rides: check the passenger’s ID and sign a liability waiver for free rides, so the driver isn’t held liable in case of a crash.
In addition, actions like hitchhiking rides, meals, and lodging—commonly copied in budget travel—are seen as “over-consuming the limited resources and goodwill of locals along the way.” Douban user “John” sharply criticized in the article “What’s the Meaning of Budget Travel?”: “You hitch rides, freeload meals and beds, then brag to your friends about having a rustic Tibetan meal at Ganglamedo and taking some artsy photos—that’s unethical.”
This summer, Yang Zhuojin, a young man from Nanning, Guangxi, used a “crowdfunding” approach to complete a 3,000-kilometer cycling trip from Beijing. China Youth Daily reporters saw on his Sina Weibo that he received donations ranging from tens to hundreds of yuan daily, with the largest single donation being 400 yuan. His action was dubbed a “begging pilgrimage” by the media, sparking controversy. In response, he said: “If you truly want to do something, the whole world will help you. Most of the donors were my friends and classmates. Let others say what they want.”
“As long as it doesn’t affect others or society, budget travel is a travel style worth promoting. But if it involves hitchhiking or freeloading meals, lodging, and drinks, you should think twice,” said Chen Jun. He believes society and the media should promote positive knowledge—for example, teaching that proper budget travel means staying in hostels, taking buses, not harming the environment, and showing young people safer, more positive ways to travel. Young people should explore the world, but must understand: travel is a personal endeavor, and public goodwill shouldn’t be overused.