Recently, Pei Yongsheng, a septuagenarian from Gaoyou, made headlines by traveling across the country in a modified van, creating a heartwarming tale of romance in the twilight years that earned widespread acclaim. Driving the van back to Gaoyou from Sichuan, he proudly held his wife’s hand and announced, “Our dream of traveling across the country has finally come true!”
35,000 kilometers in three years of self-driving
“Honey, when I retire, I’ll take you out to travel and we’ll see all of China!” This was Pei Yongsheng’s promise to his wife 40 years ago when he was a worker in Gaoyou.
In 2003, Pei Yongsheng retired, but with their combined pensions and savings, traveling across the country seemed impossible. By chance, Pei saw a TV report about foreigners building their own recreational vehicles for travel. Inspired, he learned to drive at age 63 and spent 28,000 yuan to buy a Dongfeng Xiaokang K17 van, which he converted into a DIY travel RV.
In June 2011, Pei took the first step toward realizing his dream, driving his wife along a route that included Xuyi, the Confucius Temple in Shandong, Jinan, and Wuqiao in Hebei. Over 15 days, they traveled about 4,000 kilometers.
In April 2012, Pei and his wife drove south along the coastline, passing through Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Anhui, eventually returning to Gaoyou. The trip lasted 35 days, covered 12 provinces and municipalities, and spanned 10,900 kilometers.
In April this year, Pei set off from home with his wife, traveling through Shandong, Tianjin, Jilin, Liaoning, Harbin, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, and Sichuan over 50 days and 20,000 kilometers. Their three self-driving trips over three years totaled 100 days and 35,000 kilometers. With this, they largely fulfilled their dream of seeing all of China.
Traveling China for 20,000 yuan
How much does it cost to travel across China by self-driving? Pei flipped through his account book: the 2011 trip along the Yellow River cost 2,000 yuan; last year’s coastal journey cost 6,000 yuan; and this year’s 50-day trip cost just 12,000 yuan.
The DIY RV built by Pei Yongsheng saved them considerable expenses on food and lodging during the trip. Behind the driver’s cabin of the Dongfeng van is the living area — the upper level serves as a bed, and the lower level stores daily necessities. The bed board can be removed, and under the seats are items like a kerosene stove, pressure cooker, and buckets, allowing them to eat and sleep right in the vehicle.
This year’s journey left the deepest impression on Pei. Especially the trip to Tibet, which was extremely tough. Severe altitude sickness left him unable to stand or walk, but with astonishing perseverance, Pei drove 1,200 kilometers in three days, safely crossing the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The day they arrived in Lhasa happened to be Pei Yongsheng’s 70th birthday. Celebrating his birthday in such a remote place and fulfilling a 40-year-old couple’s dream made the experience especially meaningful for the pair.