When I met Wang Zilu, he had just returned to Luohe two days earlier. Riding over 4,600 kilometers with the final destination being Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, this was his second cycling journey — and he completed it.
“It was an unforgettable cycling experience. Along the way, I enjoyed the scenery, overcame all kinds of challenges, and finally reached my destination. It gave me a great sense of achievement,” said Wang Zilu.
Fulfilling a youth dream through cycling
On May 8 this year, Wang Zilu took a train from Luohe to Chengdu. On May 10, he and eight teammates set off from Chengdu, cycling along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. Thirty-six days later, they arrived in Lhasa. After a brief rest, he and his teammates crossed the border, traveling partly by vehicle and partly by bike. The journey took over 40 days, and they arrived in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, on June 20.
In July 2010, at the age of 17, Wang Zilu had his first cycling experience, taking about a month to ride to Lhasa. “Last time, I only fulfilled the dream of cycling to Lhasa. But this time, as the team leader, I wanted to take my teammates to an even farther place — Kathmandu, Nepal. Not a single teammate dropped out along the way,” Wang Zilu said.
The scenery along the way was breathtaking, but there were also many challenges
The Sichuan-Tibet Highway offered stunning views — blue skies, white clouds, snow-capped mountains, and lakes captivated him and his teammates. But landslides, hail, and altitude sickness also tested them.
On May 10, shortly after setting off, when they reached Luding County in Sichuan Province, one male teammate fell while cycling downhill and injured his leg. After a quick treatment, he insisted on continuing.
When passing through Tianquan County in Ya’an, Sichuan, they encountered a landslide. He led the way, and it took them nearly four hours to get through a few kilometers of road.
They were hit by hail more than 10 times along the way. With nowhere to take shelter, they could only push forward with all their might. “When hail hit our bodies, we couldn’t even feel the pain. Instead, it felt kind of exhilarating,” Wang Zilu said.
Once during the climb uphill, he suffered from acute gastroenteritis and had a high fever. Left with no choice, he pedaled down the mountain to find a small clinic, rested for two days, and recovered. “It was those two days when I was sick and resting that made me miss home so much. That’s when I called my family, just to let them know I was safe,” Wang Zilu said.
First encounter with foreign landscapes and simple local customs
On June 20, Wang Zilu and his teammates arrived in Kathmandu at night. To quickly find a small restaurant to eat, they asked a local resident to guide them, and it took almost two hours to locate one. When they offered payment, the man waved it off. “I felt that the people in Kathmandu were very warm and had simple, kind customs. Staying in a hotel there was very cheap — a really nice room cost only 20 yuan a night. Only the meals were a bit expensive and mostly spicy, which I wasn’t used to,” Wang Zilu said.
Throughout Kathmandu, Wang Zilu didn’t see any buildings over 12 stories tall. The foreign scenery completely captivated him. After staying in Kathmandu for two days, he went to Chitwan National Park for a few days before returning to Lhasa.
Cycling gave him a wealth of life experiences
While cycling along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, he often saw pilgrims prostrating themselves every step of the way until they reached Lhasa. “Their persistent spirit always inspired me to keep moving forward bravely until reaching my destination,” Wang Zilu said.
Cycling changed Wang Zilu a lot. He said he used to have a bad temper and didn’t know how to be grateful. But now he realizes how much his parents have done for him, and it’s not easy at all. He feels he has matured. As a team leader, he learned to get along well with his teammates and to always consider their needs. When facing difficulties, everyone should help each other.
“If you don’t travel or take risks, what’s the point of youth? When you’re young, go out and see more of the world. Enrich your life experiences and temper yourself,” Wang Zilu said when talking about his cycling experience.
“I will keep cycling. For my next trip, I plan to go to Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, or the northeast, and aim to set off again around March or April next year,” Wang Zilu said.