"Mom and Dad, we’re home safely." Around 6 p.m. on July 14, two sun-tanned young men riding bicycles arrived at Guangming Square in Yinchuan and shouted loudly to a few middle-aged people waiting ahead. These two post-90s youths were Yu Yao and Ding Nan, who were studying at university in Chengdu, Sichuan. They set off from Chengdu and cycled 1,620 kilometers over 13 days to return to their hometown of Yinchuan, which is truly admirable.
A thousand-kilometer ride to make this summer vacation special
"Ding Nan, are you interested in doing something that would leave a deep memory of our college life?" On April 28, at the Chengdu Sport University, Yu Yao, a junior, proposed a sudden idea to his fellow townsman and good friend Ding Nan — during the summer vacation, they should cycle back to Yinchuan together. Hearing the suggestion, Ding Nan wholeheartedly agreed: “Great, let’s have a meaningful summer vacation.”
“Dad, do you know what cycling is?” “I have some vague impression.” That evening on April 28, Yu Yao’s father, Lao Yu, received a text message from his son and found the message somewhat puzzling when replying. “Dad, cycling is a healthy and natural way of sports tourism that allows one to fully enjoy the beauty of the journey.” Then, Yu Yao began to educate his father about low-carbon knowledge...
After reaching a consensus, Yu Yao and Ding Nan started planning their “thousand-kilometer cycling” trip. Considering their limited funds and the possibility that their parents’ concern might “hinder” the plan, the two adopted an “indirect strategy” with their parents respectively. After several days of knowledge “enlightenment,” they fully disclosed their plan to their parents. To their surprise, their parents supported the plan and, upon hearing about the funding shortage, immediately provided “subsidies.”
Two months of preparation for an unknown journey
Yu Yao and Ding Nan quickly bought mountain bikes and then dove into preparations. At university, Yu Yao studied swimming while Ding Nan studied football. In theory, both had good physical fitness, but to ensure they had enough stamina for the ride, they chose to do short-distance training from Chengdu to Wenchuan. The first time, the two cycled over 160 kilometers and were completely exhausted upon arriving in Wenchuan. Yu Yao still remembers the feeling of that trip: excited at the start, fatigue frequently hitting midway, and numbness all over replaced by excitement as they neared the destination. Gradually, Yu Yao and Ding Nan grew fond of this feeling, cycling tirelessly from Chengdu to Ya’an and from Chengdu to Wenchuan.
Before they knew it, summer vacation arrived. At around 7 a.m. on July 2, the two set off fully equipped. After leaving the school and exiting the Chengdu urban area, they got onto National Highway 108. After cycling nearly 120 kilometers, their first stop was Mianyang, Sichuan. “The hardest part was climbing the Qinling Mountains. We cycled just over 30 kilometers to reach the watershed. Although the scenery in the mountains was beautiful, the journey was rather monotonous.” For the rest of the trip, Ding Nan meticulously recorded in a small notebook how many kilometers they traveled each day, where they ate, and where they stayed. He believed that cycling was physically demanding, and only by eating and sleeping well could they have the energy to tackle the next leg.
The most unforgettable part was entering Ningxia
“You’re almost home. We’ll come pick you up in Yongning.” “No need, just wait for us at Guangming Square. We’ll have dinner together tonight.” At noon on July 14, Lao Yu called his son but was politely declined.
At 6:05 p.m., Yu Yao and Ding Nan appeared at the intersection of Guangming Square, bringing relieved smiles to the families of Lao Yu and Lao Ding. Seeing their sons sunburned, the two mothers had tears welling up in their eyes.
“Dad, we took over 400 photos. Take a look at how beautiful the scenery is!” After hugging their parents, Yu Yao and Ding Nan quickly reported on their journey. Over the 13 days, the fastest day of cycling was from Guyuan to Zhongning, covering 190 kilometers. “The toughest day was from Pingliang to Guyuan. It was pouring rain, the temperature dropped to around 10°C, we didn’t bring warm clothes and were freezing. Moreover, the roads after the rain were difficult to ride on, and our bikes kept getting flat tires.” Yu Yao pointed to the spare tire he had changed out of his backpack and told reporters that at the time, the two were cold and anxious with no one to help, which was truly disheartening. But it was also the most exciting day for them. When they saw the provincial boundary marker between Gansu and Ningxia, they truly felt the sense of being home.
Looking back on the 13-day journey, Yu Yao said with deep feeling: “Once you set off, all the difficulties you imagined are resolved. That’s the charm of cycling.”