Along the way, despite facing many difficulties, little Ziqi never backed down.
In the summer of 2013, thanks to her father’s whimsical idea, Zeng Ziqi and her family went through an “inspirational and tough journey.”
A 26-day hiking trip by an 8-year-old girl, a summer practical lesson for the family, drew a lot of attention. Among the reactions were praise, amazement, as well as skepticism about the "wolf dad" and "tiger mom" style of parenting.
Hiking for 26 days, crossing the boundaries between urban and rural areas, and the lines between wealth and poverty, what did Zeng Ziqi learn during this 26-day life lesson? What insights did they gain? On August 7, after the trip ended, a reporter conducted an exclusive interview with the Zeng family.
Talking about the journey
[Building Willpower]
“Just hold on a little longer, we’re almost there.”
In early July, right at the start of summer vacation, Ziqi’s father suggested that the 8-year-old hike back to their hometown in Shaoyang from Shenzhen as part of her summer homework. Ziqi agreed, but she had no idea how long or how far the journey would be—she just thought it would be fun.
After nearly half a month of family discussion, at 6:30 a.m. on July 13, Ziqi’s mother, Liu Xiaoyan, set off with Ziqi from Bao’an District, Shenzhen, along National Highway 107. A sun hat and a backpack with simple clothes, emergency medicine, and daily necessities were all the mother-daughter duo had.
By 6 p.m. that day, Liu Xiaoyan decided to call it a day and used her phone to search for nearby hotels. After a day’s trial, the mother set the travel plan for the following days: 25 kilometers per day.
At first, everything was new and exciting for Ziqi—it was all “so much fun.” But by the third day in Dongguan, she began to realize just how tough it was. Ziqi clearly remembers that halfway through, it suddenly started pouring rain, and they couldn’t find anywhere to take shelter. The mother and daughter had no choice but to wear raincoats and keep walking. When it got really uncomfortable, Ziqi couldn’t help but cry.
“People passing by on the road found it strange and asked why we didn’t take a car. Cars would also stop and ask if we wanted a ride,” Ziqi said. She really wanted to get in. “But my mom kept cheering me on, repeating, ‘Ziqi, just hold on a little longer, we’ll be fine once we cross that bridge.’”
[The Midway Decision]
“There was no way we were going to give up halfway.”
“There was no way we were going to give up halfway.”
“No one ever thought Ziqi could finish the whole journey. I made this plan for her to carry out. The result wasn’t important—the process was,” Zeng’s father told reporters. He had originally only planned to go as far as Guangzhou, but Ziqi ended up going much further than he expected.
After passing Qingyuan and leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the city, the journey became tougher. The distances between towns varied, the weather got hotter, and often there was no lunch to eat. But despite all of this, Ziqi didn’t complain anymore. She felt there was nothing to be afraid of along the way. The only thing that had been bothering her—the big dogs—were also driven away by her mom.
On July 25, after a long trek, Ziqi and her mother finally arrived at Lianzhou, the city bordering Guangdong and Hunan. There were few people along the national highway, the mountain roads were winding, and there was no suitable place to stay. They also had to worry about speeding cars on the narrow road. Liu Xiaoyan considered giving up. Later, the family of three held a family meeting. Liu Xiaoyan suggested that they stop there and just take a bus back to Shaoyang. But Ziqi firmly disagreed and insisted on continuing. She believed, “Since we’ve already started, how can we give up halfway?”
Talking about the gains
[Learning Along the Way]
Learning many things not found in books
[Learning Along the Way]
Learning many things not found in books
Stepping out of the city and into the countryside, Ziqi felt like she had entered another classroom.
During the trip, Ziqi saw sweet potatoes, beans, peanuts, and rice. She began to learn that sorghum stalks can be used to make sugar, and although sorghum and corn look similar, they are not the same.
Ziqi also learned how to husk corn and pull up peanuts. She told reporters that to husk corn, you first make a small cut on the ear, then rub along the direction of the cut. The tool used is a shoe sole tied to a wooden stool, and you must step on the stool legs, or it will slide around.
When pulling up peanuts, you should wiggle them left and right or up and down so the soil loosens more easily, making the peanuts easier to pull out. “When pulling peanuts, look at the leaves—if half of them are yellow, those peanuts are the most fragrant and crispy.”
“Although the city uses tap water that comes out with a twist of the faucet, in the countryside, you can drink well water straight from the ground, and it’s especially cool,” Ziqi said. She discovered this secret while washing her face. She saw farmers drinking the water directly and secretly tried some herself. Afterward, she shared it with her parents.
Over the 26-day hiking trip, through what she saw and heard, Ziqi said she learned many things that can’t be learned from books.
[Learning Communication]
“There are skills to interacting with strangers.”
“There are skills to interacting with strangers.”
During the trip, Qiqi also learned how to communicate with strangers. Qiqi said that in Shenzhen, she never spoke to strangers because her parents told her it could be dangerous.
But on the trip, it was usually her parents who initiated conversations, and Qiqi would continue. Only when she saw something fun—like pulling peanuts or shucking corn—would she can’t help but approach and strike up a conversation.
After entering Hunan, sometimes there were no restaurants along the road, so her father would take Qiqi to farmers’ homes for a meal and use the opportunity to teach her how to talk to strangers. Qiqi said, “There are tricks to interacting with strangers. First, you break the ice, then introduce yourself, and then make your request. I haven’t met anyone who refused yet.” Qiqi said proudly.
Every day, Liu Xiaoyan used QQ Zone to document every bit of her daughter’s journey.
On July 22, she wrote, “This morning we bought three steamed buns and ate two. When we met an elderly scavenger, my daughter gave the remaining bun to him. The old man’s expression changed from surprise to gratitude... Giving roses leaves fragrance on the hands... I hope my daughter grows up to have more ability to help more people.”
Parent Reflections
“As long as the starting point is good, don’t set limits for your child”
“As long as the starting point is good, don’t set limits for your child”
Halfway through the journey, Father Zeng wrote the following on QQ Zone: “Don’t fear the long road. Each step has its scenery, each move brings its joy—that’s enough. I’m happy for my daughter’s growth and also cheering myself on for the challenges ahead.”
On August 7, after 26 days of trekking, Qiqi finally reached the destination with her family. This deeply moved her father. At the end point, he awarded his daughter a certificate of achievement. That day, he posted his final update on QQ Zone: “We made it. Daughter, you’ve made your dad very happy.”
Through this hike, the father felt that although Qiqi had gotten darker and thinner, she had become more spirited and lively—that was the biggest change and gain.
Father Zeng believes that as long as the starting point is good, don’t set limits for children, and try to affirm and encourage them to do things adults might think impossible. What adults need to do is accompany and protect them.
And Qiqi, having gone through this journey, seemed to have matured a lot. Although she had been to places like Singapore and Thailand, the farthest place in Qiqi’s mind was still Shaoyang.
Reporter’s Note
Life Lessons, On the Road
Life Lessons, On the Road
26 days, an 8-year-old girl, hiking 700 kilometers—what did she learn?
—From city to countryside, she began drinking well water directly, pulling peanuts, and shucking corn—this is observing the world from an equal perspective.
—From wealth to poverty, she voluntarily offered a steamed bun to a hungry scavenger—this is experiencing life with compassion.
—From comfort to hardship, she endured scorching sun and persisted through 700 kilometers—this is overcoming difficulties with resilience forged through challenges.
—From stranger to friend, she made friends with strangers along the way and knocked on unfamiliar doors—this is embracing the world with communication skills.
Equality, compassion, resilience, communication… These qualities once growing distant from urban children all returned to Zeng Ziqi through this journey.
This makes us believe that the barriers society builds are merely a shift in mindset between knowing and doing.
It also makes us believe that this is not a story of a “wolf dad” or “tiger mom,” but a moving practice of “reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.”
So, rather than calling it a tough journey, it’s more like a life lesson.