Wuhan siblings cycle 23 days to Tibet to deliver school supplies to local children

    The post-85s siblings, carrying charitable donations from the Hannan cycling group, cycled for 23 days along the Yunnan-Tibet Highway to reach Lhasa, delivering care from afar to Tibetan students along the way. Recently, siblings Zhang Xun and Zhang Zhen returned to Hannan by train from Lhasa.

The siblings live in Shamao Street, Hannan. They have loved sports since childhood. Sister Zhang Xun, born in 1988, works for the Hannan Fire Brigade and joined the cycling group at age 21, having accumulated nearly 20,000 kilometers of cycling experience. Zhang Zhen, a year younger than his sister, works at Wuhan Country Garden Phoenix Hotel. He only joined the cycling group last year but has already completed long-distance rides such as Wuhan to Lushan and Wuhan to Changsha.

Cycling to Lhasa via the Yunnan-Tibet Highway is a dream for many cycling enthusiasts. Though the journey is treacherous, the scenery is breathtaking. To realize this cycling dream, the siblings underwent nearly half a year of preparation and training.

Before departure, their mother, Chai Yumei, cried anxiously and refused to let them go. The leader of the cycling group, Sister Yan (online alias), came to their home to persuade her, and also mobilized other group members to pool together 2,000 yuan, asking the siblings to buy some school supplies for Tibetan children during the trip. Seeing that the children were doing a good deed, Chai Yumei finally let them go.

On May 18, the siblings arrived in Kunming by train and officially began their ride to Tibet on the 19th. The Yunnan-Tibet Highway is located on the plateau, passing through famous perilous sections such as Tiger Leaping Gorge and the 72 Turns, with numerous sharp turns and steep slopes, posing great challenges to cyclists' stamina and willpower. The siblings conquered the over 2,000-kilometer “sky road” in 23 days, cycling as much as nearly 180 kilometers on their fastest day.

Zhang Xun recalled that the downhill section under Hongla Mountain had very poor road conditions, and unfortunately, the gear shift on her mountain bike malfunctioned, along with issues with the bottom bracket. She had no choice but to push on with difficulty. “The 20-kilometer muddy stretch in Tongmai was probably the worst road I’ve ever cycled on,” said Zhang Zhen. “The muddy slopes, potential landslides, colds, and flat tires almost drove me crazy. But the scenery was absolutely stunning!” “We suffered and were exhausted, but when we finally arrived in Lhasa on June 10, all the hardships immediately turned into happiness,” said Zhang Xun. “This cycling trip has left us with precious memories of our fading youth.”

Delivering school supplies to children along the way

Upon entering Tibet from Deqen, Yunnan, they began their charitable donations along the route. Markam was the first county town after entering Tibet. They bought over 200 notebooks, over 200 erasers, and over 200 pencils, and whenever they passed through a town, they would stop to find a school and give the supplies to children in need.

Zhang Xun recalled that once, while stopping for lunch within Zogang County, they noticed a girl of about seven or eight years old. Her face was dark, her hair disheveled, and she was carrying a baby on her back. As she walked past them, she curiously stared at them. Zhang Xun asked, “Little sister, are you in school?” The girl nodded and told them she attended school in the town but had to bring her younger brother along because there was no one to look after him. Moved by the child, Zhang Xun gave her several notebooks and pencils. Soon after, three or four more children came running over, asking if they had any more notebooks or pens. Touched, the siblings handed out more supplies.

Before reaching Bomi, they had already given away all the school supplies they had bought. So in Bomi County, they urgently “restocked,” purchasing and distributing supplies along the way until they reached Lhasa.