A photo of Xu Bu (left) in Tibet.
A young man from Nanjing cycled 5,000 kilometers all the way from Nanjing to Tibet. The young man, who originally weighed over 180 jin (about 90 kg), lost a full 36 jin (about 18 kg). The more than two-month cycling journey benefited this 31-year-old man immensely. He said that looking at the scenery along the way and completing the trip on his own made him feel very fulfilled.
He quit his job to cycle to Tibet
Xu Bu, 31, told reporters that the reason he wanted to cycle to Tibet was to do something crazy before turning 30, so that he could have no regrets about his youth. After discussing it with his university classmate Ge Junjie, the two hit it off immediately and started packing up to set off. At the time, Xu Bu was a mid-level manager at a 4S store. To go to Tibet, he quit his job. “He said, ‘You can always find another job, and you can always earn money again, but youth only comes once, and I can’t miss it.’” After getting his family’s approval, Xu Bu and Ge Junjie’s youth journey officially began.
Encountered heavy rain on the road and stayed at a Tibetan family’s home
Xu Bu and Ge Junjie took the Sichuan-Tibet Highway to enter Tibet. Traveling along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway into Tibet involves crossing high mountains and rushing across rapid rivers. The journey is arduous and fraught with danger, but the scenery along the way is magnificent. Xu Bu had to cycle at least 10 hours and 120 kilometers every day. Sometimes, to keep up with the schedule, he had to cycle even longer. In the beginning, the intensity of cycling was too much for his body to handle. His legs were sore and aching every day after cycling, and he had to keep applying red flower oil to improve blood circulation. After two weeks of adaptation, cycling 10 hours a day became manageable.
What impressed him most during the ride was the lucky encounter with the help of Tibetan locals. That day, after descending from the mountain at Ga'er Temple, they encountered a muddy road, and it started pouring down rain. Just when they felt helpless and desperate, they suddenly saw a house up ahead, like a lost ship spotting a lighthouse. The Tibetan family invited them to change clothes and prepared a sumptuous dinner. Xu Bu said he clearly remembered the mellow highland barley wine and the fresh lamb — it was the most delicious meal he had ever had in his life.
A fellow cyclist almost fell off a cliff
The Seventy-Two Turns is a nationally famous “devil’s stretch,” also known as the Ninety-Nine Bends. “We were especially careful cycling through this section, but an accident still happened,” Xu Bu said. One cyclist had brake problems and couldn’t stop no matter what. He watched helplessly as the cyclist rushed straight down the cliff. Fortunately, at the last moment, the cyclist was caught by tree branches and survived. Setting off from Nanjing on May 20, 2012, and after 70 days, Xu Bu finally arrived at Everest Base Camp on August 1.
The cycling experience made his mindset more peaceful
After returning home, he weighed himself. The young man who was 180 cm tall and weighed 90 kg before the trip now weighed just 72 kg — a full loss of 36 jin (about 18 kg)! Xu Bu joked that if you want to lose weight, cycling to Tibet works amazingly well. His parents were relieved to see their son return safely. They thought it was remarkable that their son had accomplished such a feat. His wife and friends also praised him highly, and his wife even teased that she saw the man she fell in love with again, now that he had slimmed down.
Xu Bu told reporters that this cycling trip brought significant changes to his thinking, and he felt it was absolutely worth it. He said that in the past, he used to be impulsive in how he viewed and handled things, but now his mindset is much more peaceful. He faces situations more calmly and handles matters more steadily. He also feels that there are no regrets about his youth.