The 31-day self-driving trip across Xinjiang was not Jiang Lujun’s first long-distance road journey. Just after obtaining his disabled driver’s license two years ago, he traveled to Tibet the following year and reached the Everest Base Camp. Drawing on his experience from the Tibet trip, he successfully embarked on his Xinjiang road trip, passing through 10 provinces and municipalities and covering over 12,000 kilometers, returning to Shenzhen smoothly after 31 days.
“I haven’t had enough yet!” This was Jiang Lujun’s summary of his Xinjiang trip. He is 54 years old and became disabled due to a work-related injury in 1994. A retired police officer who left service early, despite being paraplegic, he has adjusted mentally and, with plenty of free time at his disposal, feels that the world has become even wider. On July 6, he set off on a 31-day self-driving tour of Xinjiang with his caregiver and a companion. Although most of the time was spent in the car, it did not diminish his enthusiasm for traveling.
The trio sets off
The Xinjiang self-driving trip was originally planned for late August or early September when fruits in Xinjiang would be ripe. But Jiang Lujun said he couldn’t wait, so he invited his 58-year-old companion Hu Wenhong, brought along his caregiver, and set off from Shenzhen, passing through Hunan, Hubei, Shanxi, and Gansu before arriving in Xinjiang, then returning via Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guangxi, covering a total distance of over 12,000 kilometers.
Jiang Lujun was injured on duty 20 years ago, resulting in paraplegia, and subsequently retired. In 2011, after obtaining his driver’s license, he specifically chose an urban SUV, which he modified by adding manual controls to operate the vehicle manually instead of using foot pedals for the brake and accelerator.
After getting the car, Jiang Lujun began his journey of driving across the country. Last year, he invited a family of three friends with disabilities to drive to Tibet, but due to unforeseen circumstances on the road, he could only take the friend’s daughter to Tibet and reach the Everest Base Camp. For this Xinjiang trip, he specially brought iron chains, wood, medications, and other items to deal with various possible situations on the road, and also purchased over 1,000 yuan worth of medicine.
Daily surprises
Jiang Lujun was the only driver on the trip. Once in the driver’s seat, he became full of energy, fully in control of the situation. While most people might find driving for eight hours unbearable, he had no problem driving all day. Moreover, Jiang Lujun drove just like any able-bodied person—getting in and out of the car with the help of his caregiver, and most photos were taken from inside the car.
There were surprises every day—that was the summary of the journey by the trio. “For 31 days, sitting in the passenger seat, I didn’t blink or doze off once, constantly taking photos for fear of missing beautiful scenery,” said Hu Wenhong.
One of the most thrilling parts of the journey was in Hemu, where the road was under construction. The trio hired a local driver to take a detour. “The driver’s skills were amazing. It had just rained, and for about 20 minutes we drove across a meadow. The muddy ground made the car move sideways instead of straight,” Jiang Lujun recalled.
Why take such risks? It turned out that 10 years ago, a friend of Jiang Lujun had visited this place and taken several photos with his daughter and a local herding family. This time, Jiang Lujun was entrusted by his friend to find that acquaintance. Hu Wenhong said, “After 10 years, we were worried the family might have moved away, but a herdsman recognized the people in the photo as fellow villagers after seeing them, made a phone call, and soon a little boy came to greet us.” The 13-year-old boy was the 3-year-old child in the photo. Led by him, they returned to his home and spent two days and one night in Hemu.
No backtracking
The scenery is along the way. The trio set off around 9 or 10 a.m. each day and arranged their accommodation according to their itinerary, often checking in at 11 p.m. Along the way, many of Jiang Lujun’s friends took care of them. After arriving in Hami, they were given Hami melons, which became an important fruit throughout the trip. They ate Hami melons non-stop from entering Xinjiang until leaving.
“I followed Jiang Lujun’s plan—he designed the route to avoid backtracking.” Therefore, on the return trip, they chose to cross the Qaidam Basin, from Huatugou to Delingha. “Jiang Lujun’s friends in Xinjiang advised him not to take this route because there was little traffic, and apart from gas stations, there were no residences along the way. If something happened, it would be hard to get help,” Hu Wenhong recalled of this stretch, describing the landscape as nothing but yellow and white—yellow earth and salt flats. Fortunately, they met another car from Shenzhen at the start of the journey and traveled together.
“I haven’t had enough yet. Another half month would’ve been perfect. Coming back to Shenzhen isn’t as hot,” Jiang Lujun joked. The scenery along the way made the trip worthwhile. On his travel itinerary, places like the northeast have become his next self-driving destinations for the following year.
Background
At the end of 2009, China’s Ministry of Public Security issued a decision to amend the “Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driving Licenses,” relaxing the physical conditions for applying for a driver’s license. People with disabilities in the right or both lower limbs can apply for a specially adapted small automatic passenger car for disabled persons, equipped with special auxiliary devices, and obtain a specialized C5 driver’s license. The new regulations came into effect on April 1, 2010.