On the morning of July 16, reporters spotted a young man near the intersection of Dongfeng East Street and Wenhua Road in Kuiwen District. He had a pair of sports shoes clipped to his left waist, a waist pack on his right, and carried a water bottle on his shoulder, with the words “Qihe young man hiking to see the sea” written on his backpack. The reporters learned that the young man was named Gao Yongshen, a 27-year-old from Qihe County, Dezhou. Due to the pressures of starting a business, he wanted to temper his willpower and planned to hike all the way to Chengshantou in Weihai. This time, he was passing through Weifang. It is understood that Gao Yongshen set off from Qihe on the morning of July 8, and after seven days of walking, arrived in Weifang city area on the evening of the 15th and plans to continue onward.
Eating pears and raw corn from the roadside
On the morning of July 16, the reporters met Gao Yongshen, the young man from Qihe, who had set out from his hometown of Qihe at 10 a.m. on July 8 and hiked to Weifang, with his destination being Chengshantou in Weihai. When talking about his travel plan, Gao Yongshen appeared spirited and full of longing.
It is understood that Gao Yongshen, 27, is from Xinanji Village, Zhuyi Town, Qihe County, Dezhou. He graduated from Shandong Vocational College of Foreign Affairs Translation, majoring in International Trade Practice. After graduation in 2007, he worked at a chemical company in Zibo. “At first, I worked in the workshop for a while. Although it was tough, I learned a lot. Later, due to my good performance, I was transferred to the company’s control room to monitor computers. I achieved zero errors in three months and earned the recognition of my superiors. At the time, I didn’t have any grand life ambitions—I just thought earning some money would be fine,” said Gao Yongshen. Growing up by the Yellow River, he has a deep love for his hometown and plans to return to develop the tourism industry if given the opportunity.
In 2011, upon learning that his hometown was promoting tourism development, he returned with three boxes of books and some clothes. He first found a job at a company, but after working for a while, he quit and used his garage to open an air conditioning maintenance and repair shop. Though the income wasn’t much, it was enough to get by.
Not far from Gao Yongshen’s home is a beach where many people go for picnics on weekends. Gao Yongshen thought it would be a great idea to invest in building a paintball arena or beach soccer and volleyball courts there. “My parents strongly opposed it, and some villagers didn’t understand either—why give up a stable job to do something unprofitable? This hiking trip is meant to train my perseverance and face pressure bravely,” said Gao Yongshen.
On the morning of July 8, after breakfast, Gao Yongshen left his phone and wallet on the table in his shop. Carrying only his ID card, a water bottle, toothpaste and toothbrush, razor, and a pair of well-fitting shoes, he began his hiking journey. “Even when I was in school, I had a habit of carrying a notebook and pen wherever I went. This time, the notebook and pen were among the most essential items,” said Gao Yongkun (Note: likely typo for Gao Yongshen). At around 10 a.m. on July 8, he walked from Qihe County onto National Highway 308 and continued eastward along the highway.
“The weather was extremely hot that day. Since I had eaten late in the morning, I didn’t feel hungry at noon, but by the afternoon, my water ran out and my stomach was growling loudly.” Gao Yongshen said that at that point, he reached a place called Sangxindian in Jinan City, and spotted an orchard not far away. He picked four or five pears and ate them in one go, then picked two corn cobs from a cornfield and ate those as well, which slightly alleviated his hunger. After walking a bit further, he drank two bottles of water at a bank and rested briefly.
On the evening of the 8th, he arrived at a gas station within the boundaries of Jiyang County. After explaining his situation to the staff, he spent the night resting at the gas station.
Many kind-hearted people offered help
On the morning of July 9, Gao Yongshen washed up at the gas station and left. He saw some breakfast vendors nearby, but after thinking it over, he still felt too embarrassed to ask for food. Near the Jiyang Yellow River Bridge, he spotted a watermelon field. Since it was drizzling at the time and no one was around, he ran into the field, found a watermelon weighing seven or eight pounds, smashed it open with a punch, and ate the whole thing in one go. After crossing the Jiyang Yellow River Bridge and traveling some distance, he arrived in Gaoguan Town, Zhangqiu, where he ate some watermelon from another field.
On the evening of July 9, Gao Yongshen arrived at a small restaurant in Diaozhen, Zhangqiu. After explaining his situation to the owner and saying he was willing to do any work just for a full meal, the restaurant owner gave him some fried dough cakes without making him work. That night, he found an indoor ATM vestibule at a bank and slept on the floor. “When I woke up the next day, although my back was a bit sore, I slept very soundly,” said Gao Yongshen.
On July 10, Gao Yongshen planned to work a bit at a baked flatbread shop in exchange for a meal, but the owner, upon hearing his story, was so impressed that he gave him two flatbreads without asking him to work.
On July 11, near the entry to Zibo, a driver of an off-road vehicle noticed the words “Qihe young man hiking to see the sea” on Gao Yongshen’s back. The driver stopped and offered to give him a ride to Zhoucun. Although he was exhausted, Gao Yongshen politely declined the kind offer. “Around noon, I estimated I had walked about 200 kilometers. I started feeling dizzy, and both my feet were covered in blisters. Every step was excruciating. I really considered giving up. My favorite book is *The Old Man and the Sea*. Even though the old man was injured, he kept fighting the big fish. At that moment, I thought, if he could do it, so could I,” said Gao Yongshen. After an inner struggle, he decided to press on.
Arrived in Weifang city area on the evening of the 15th
“In the following days, I mostly did small jobs at a few restaurants, and the owners gave me something to eat. Actually, at every restaurant, the owners refused to let me work after hearing my story, but I felt bad not doing anything in return. Most nights, I rested inside the indoor vestibules of bank ATMs,” said Gao Yongshen.
On July 14, Gao Yongshen reached the Ziquan River Bridge toll station. At that time, the road sign indicated there were still 80 kilometers to Weifang and 400 kilometers to Rongcheng in Weihai. “On the evening of July 15, I arrived in downtown Weifang. In Weicheng District, I saw a seafood restaurant and wanted to work there, but the owner wouldn’t let me, though they did give me some food. At every place I eat, I write it down in my notebook. If I have the chance to visit those places again in the future, I will definitely pay them a visit,” said Gao Yongshen.
“I plan to follow Dongfeng East Street straight east until I find National Highway 309, then continue onward. My destination is Chengshantou in Weihai. I’m now about 350 kilometers away from my destination, and I estimate it will take about 10 more days to get there. The biggest challenge along the way has been finding food. I’ve already walked about half the distance. Just a little more perseverance, and victory will be mine. I believe this experience will help me face challenges bravely if I encounter difficulties in my future entrepreneurial endeavors,” Gao Yongshen said firmly to the reporters.