At 54, Li Jiawei was originally an ordinary taxi driver. He plans to cycle through all countries that have hosted the Olympics. So far, he has completed his journey through 16 European countries as well as China, South Korea, and Japan. Speaking of his trips to Japan and South Korea, Li also lamented that they were not as smooth as he had imagined. On the morning of May 11, beneath the iconic “May Wind” sculpture in May Fourth Square, members of several cycling clubs and elderly volunteer groups in Qingdao gathered to send off Li Jiawei, the city’s cabbie, as he set off for Liuting Airport to fly to Australia. He plans to cycle from Sydney to Melbourne, a journey of about two weeks.
A fellow cyclist came to see him off as he headed to Australia amid cheers
At 9 a.m. on May 11, beneath the “May Wind” landmark in May Fourth Square, members of several cycling clubs and elderly volunteer groups in Qingdao gathered to send off Li Jiawei, a local cabbie, as he embarked on the third leg of his Olympic cycling journey: Australia.
In the square, 54-year-old Li Jiawei, geared up and full of energy, was seen off by around 100 well-wishers. Among them were not only fellow cyclists from his club but also many elderly volunteers. When Li unfurled a flag stamped with 19 Olympic seals, many cyclists gathered to take photos with him.
At 10 a.m. that day, after the event, amid the cheers of fellow cyclists, Li Jiawei, accompanied by a dozen riders, circled the square before heading to Liuting Airport. He took a 2 p.m. flight to Sydney, Australia, to begin his Olympic cycling tour there. His final destination is Melbourne, over 1,000 kilometers away, with the trip expected to take about two weeks. As of press time, Li told reporters that he had arrived at Sydney’s Olympic venues on the noon of the 12th but couldn’t find anyone to stamp his flag. He plans to head to Melbourne after getting the stamp.
B Staying in a Korean hotel exceeded budget, rushed back after stamping
According to Li Jiawei, he officially began his European Olympic cycling journey on June 16, 2012. So far, he has cycled through 16 Olympic-hosting countries in Europe. In late February and mid-March of this year, he also completed his rides through South Korea and Japan, bringing his total distance to over 12,000 kilometers.
In every Olympic city, Li Jiawei would go directly to the local Olympic stadium or memorial, asking the director or staff to stamp the Olympic seal on his Olympic flag along with their name. On his flag, there are now 19 Olympic stamps, each featuring unique designs from their respective countries.
On the noon of February 22, 2013, Li Jiawei took a ferry alone from Qingdao to South Korea, then cycled from Incheon to Seoul. Upon arriving in South Korea, his first impression was how expensive things were. To his surprise, the lodging was even more costly than in Europe. In Europe, a regular business hotel costs 50–60 euros per night, but in South Korea — perhaps because he didn’t find the right place — any random hotel cost the equivalent of 700–800 RMB. After a tough night, Li finally found a hotel for 300 RMB. Since the accommodation costs in South Korea exceeded his budget, Li hoped to return sooner. So on the 23rd, he visited Seoul’s Olympic venue, got the stamp, and quickly returned from Incheon.
C Traveled to Japan with a tour group, had to pay “early departure fee” for solo travel
After returning from South Korea, Li Jiawei planned to head to the next destination, Japan. Due to his limited knowledge of Japan and some complicated reasons, he chose to join a tour group to Japan and arrived at Tokyo Narita International Airport on March 15. However, his Tokyo trip didn’t seem to go smoothly either.
What Li didn’t expect was that, because he was part of a tour group, the organizers, to prevent any mishaps, didn’t allow him to travel alone. Eventually, Li managed to ask for a one-day leave from the group and paid an 800-yuan “early departure fee” (similar to a penalty), which gave him precious “free time” to complete his Olympic cycling tour in Japan.
On the evening of March 15, when Li was studying the route, he realized that the roads from Narita Airport to the Tokyo Olympic venues were all highways. To reach the destination, he had to take regular roads, which ended up making a 70-kilometer journey over 100 kilometers. To avoid troubling the tour group, Li set off at 6:30 a.m. on the 16th and didn’t arrive at the Tokyo 18th Olympic Games venue until around 12 p.m. He found the staff, got the stamp, and quickly returned to rejoin the group, finally coming back to Qingdao on the 22nd.
D Cycling through Olympic countries in the Americas — anyone want to join?
When asked by reporters if he ever felt lonely traveling alone, Li sighed: “Actually, I’d love to have a companion. I don’t speak English, let alone other languages. When cycling abroad, I communicate with others using gestures. Also, this entire journey is self-funded, and the expenses are quite high. Things haven’t gone as smoothly as I imagined. Many friends want to help but can’t — those who have money have no time, and those who have time have no money. So finding a companion is really hard. When I went to Europe, I cycled with a young man as far as Moscow before we went our separate ways. Now, going to Australia is also solo — over 1,000 kilometers, which should take about two weeks. I’ve also gotten my U.S. visa now. After returning from Australia, I plan to visit the other Olympic-hosting countries in the Americas.”