“Life has its ups and downs, but you can’t give up”
8 Years, 1,000 Cities: A Man from Hebei Pushes Cart Across China
Profile
Chen You
From Handan, Hebei
◎ Previous Experience
Served in the military and ran a business; after the business failed and he faced family hardships, he became disheartened with life. Later...
He is now 56 years old.
Chen You, a man in his fifties from Hebei who has gone through major life challenges, once felt hopeless and even considered taking his own life. But today, he has a clear direction in life. Starting in 2005, he walked across the country to promote the Beijing Olympics. After the Olympics, he came up with an even bolder idea: to pull a cart and hike across the nation, aiming to set a new Guinness World Record. At around 6 pm on the 26th, he arrived in Gaoyou City. Over the past 8 years, he has pulled his cart on foot through more than 1,000 cities in 32 provinces and municipalities, covering a distance of over 20,000 kilometers.
Facing setbacks, he “power-walked” to cheer himself up
At around 6 pm on the 26th, on the sidewalk along Wenyou Middle Road in Gaoyou City, Chen You slowly pushed his homemade iron-shed cart. He had dark skin, a strong build, a slight disability in his left eye, but was full of energy. The iron-shed cart was about 3 meters long, 1 meter wide, and weighed two to three hundred pounds. Despite its small size, it was packed with a range of living essentials such as an iron pot, oil, water, a liquefied gas cylinder, and bedding—essentially a mobile home.
The reporter noticed that the outside of the cart was wrapped in an advertising cloth printed with a map of China, covered with signatures from people across the country, many of which were words of encouragement for him.
In conversation, the optimistic Chen You told the reporter that he had served in the military and his original name was Chen Shuzhi. After his business failed and he faced family difficulties, his wife and children left him. He once considered taking his own life, but later met a university teacher who patiently counseled him, helping him through the darkest period of his life. That experience inspired him to walk across the country promoting the Olympics, aiming to challenge, transform, and enrich himself during the journey.
Started off nearly “starving,” kind strangers helped him keep going
In September 2005, Chen Shuzhi, who was working in Shanghai, spent over a thousand yuan to custom-build an iron-shed cart. With just 60 yuan to his name, he set off. To keep himself motivated, he changed his name to “Chen You,” meaning to travel and explore the country. He first headed south to Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangxi, and other places, then went north, completed his journey through the northeast, turned northwest, and continued southward. He ate and slept in the iron-shed cart.
At the beginning, his hiking journey was extremely “miserable.” Soon after setting off, the 60-plus yuan ran out. In Zhejiang, he went without food for two consecutive days, surviving only by drinking water. Just as he was about to faint from hunger, a farmer gave him two yuan—“life-saving money”—which he used to buy two packs of instant noodles. That night, he reached a county town, collected scrap metal to sell, and received money from kind-hearted citizens. Later, as he gradually gained some “fame,” and more importantly, as people were moved by his spirit, wherever he went, kind people donated money to him, took photos with him, signed his cart, and encouraged him. Throughout his journey, his perseverance and strength also attracted attention from various media outlets.
Heading to Shenyang next year to get the “Guinness Certificate”
After the Olympics, the elderly Chen didn’t stop; instead, he continued planning his “hiking across China” blueprint: to set a new Guinness World Record for hiking across China.
Starting from Shanghai, Chen You only brought 60 yuan. For 8 years, his travel expenses relied entirely on donations from passersby and money earned from collecting scrap. Along the way, he received help from so many kind-hearted people. A thick notebook records the names of those helpers, which has also become his motivation to continue hiking.
Everywhere Chen You goes, he visits the post office to stamp his cart as a keepsake. Over 8 years, he traveled through more than 1,000 cities in 32 provinces and municipalities. He replaced 20 tires on his iron-shed cart and wore out 97 pairs of shoes. He not only “traveled” across the mainland but also visited Macau.
His next destinations are Yancheng, Lianyungang, and Shandong. Next year, he plans to go to Beijing and Shenyang, hoping to obtain the Guinness certificate there.
During the interview, citizens visiting Jingtu Temple Square in Gaoyou, upon learning about Old Chen’s “legendary journey,” all gave him a thumbs-up.