Tan Hao cycled to Sun Moon Lake
1,717 kilometers, a 15-day cycling journey. On the eve of graduation, Tan Hao, a senior majoring in mathematics and computer science at Fujian Normal University, gave himself a special "graduation gift"—spending half a month cycling around Taiwan to commemorate his youth.
After completing the journey, he was busy with graduation matters and job hunting. It wasn’t until these past couple of days that he finally had some free time to document the past half-month online and share the insights gained from the trip with his friends.
A mountain bike, a backpack with a change of clothes, and some repair tools—this was all the gear Tan Hao carried on his cycling trip.
Speaking of the cycling trip, Tan Hao said the idea came to him on the eve of graduation. During his university years, he had been passionate about cycling, though only riding with friends around Fuzhou on weekends. Such a long distance and duration were entirely new to him. “I’m about to graduate, and I’ve always wanted to complete a trip on my own. It’s also a graduation gift to myself, a fitting end to my college life.”
“I’m from Fuzhou and have always been very interested in Taiwanese culture. After thinking it over for a long time, I finally decided to go to Taiwan,” said Tan Hao. To ensure the trip would go smoothly, he prepared in advance for half a month, planning out each day’s itinerary in Taiwan. Despite being busy with graduation tasks, he made sure to set aside those two weeks.
With everything ready, Tan Hao set off. On June 1st, he cycled from Fuzhou to Pingtan, and on June 2nd, he arrived in Taiwan, officially beginning his solo journey. He opted for a circular island route, cycling about 100 kilometers each day, spending around eight hours on the road. In addition to cycling, he also visited local attractions to experience the area’s culture and customs.
Although well-prepared, there were still unexpected thrills. On the first day in Taiwan, it was already evening when he planned to cycle to Lukang for the night. The distance was just 40 kilometers, which should have taken about an hour, but it ended up taking him over three.
Tan Hao recalled that halfway through the ride that night, he encountered a steep hill, followed by more than ten sharp turns—road conditions not shown on the map and completely unexpected. “I wasn’t prepared for the road conditions, and I felt uncertain. That section had no streetlights, and it was pitch black. I could only ride slowly in the dark to avoid falling. I had run out of water and was tired and thirsty, but it still took me over three hours to get there.”
The 15-day cycling trip was full of challenges, but what stood out most to him were the warm-hearted people he met along the way.
“One night I got lost, but luckily I ran into a local police officer who personally led me to a homestay to rest,” said Tan Hao. While in Hualien, he also met a very hospitable shop owner of Fujian ancestry, who shared tips on things to watch out for and even gave him many local specialties as gifts, which was incredibly heartwarming.
One evening during dinner, Tan Hao met several elderly locals who chatted with him, drank tea, and even taught him some local dialects—they were very kind.
After returning to Fuzhou from Taiwan, Tan Hao completed his two-week journey. In his eyes, it was not just a “graduation gift,” but also a rewarding experience. “This trip taught me a lot. I made many friends, broadened my horizons, and grew stronger, especially learning perseverance and independence. I’ll keep cycling in the future.”