A 29-year-old young man from Qingdao, Qian Qiang, set off from Shanghai on March 18 this year together with another young man from Henan, Li Qihui, to hike along National Highway 318. Their destination is Friendship Bridge in Tibet. They plan to complete the entire 5,476-kilometer journey in about six months. Currently, the two have reached Enshi, Hubei, having completed nearly one-third of the trip...
Hiking entirely on foot, they've covered 1,569 kilometers
Recently, a Sina Weibo account named "Qingdao Lao Qian" caught the attention of reporters. Its signature reads, "On March 18, 2013, I walked from Shanghai to Zhamu, Tibet, along National Highway 318 without any vehicles, covering the full 5,476 km. Everyone has their own path." The reporter then contacted "Qingdao Lao Qian" through Weibo.
The reporter learned that "Qingdao Lao Qian" is actually named Qian Qiang, 29 years old, living near Shuiqingshuo in Qingdao and currently working for a fitness company in the city. At the end of last year, he got to know a young man from Henan, Li Qihui, online, and the two discussed hiking along National Highway 318. After several months of preparation, Qian Qiang temporarily stopped working, took a flight from Qingdao to Shanghai on March 17, and set off from the "zero milestone" of National Highway 318 in Shanghai on March 18. They hike at a speed of about 30 kilometers per day. As of press time, the two have reached the 1,569-kilometer mark of National Highway 318 in Enshi, Hubei.
Speaking of the idea behind this journey, Qian Qiang told the reporter, "We are both post-80s. We need the courage to just go, and also want to use this to quiet our minds for a while."
Politely declined many kind offers of rides
The reporter noticed that Qian Qiang’s green backpack was marked with words like "Hiking 318." Qian Qiang said that he had traveled to Tibet once last year, so he has long been fascinated by the place. Since the endpoint of National Highway 318 is Tibet, the two decided on this route after discussion. Along this route, they also met many like-minded travelers, but there were very few who were actually hiking. Others either rode bicycles or drove cars. Some kind-hearted drivers, upon seeing the words "Hiking 318" on his backpack as they passed by, wanted to give them a ride out of goodwill, but the two young men politely declined.
"The reason we chose this trip was to persevere, to walk step by step, and to take it slow so we can experience some uniquely interesting people and things along the way." In Qian Qiang’s posts, the reporter also noticed this line: "National Highway 318 is like a 5,476-page book. I’ve read close to page 1,600. Along the way, I’ve also met many fellow travelers. He said, those driving read it page by page, those biking read it line by line, while those hiking savor it word by word." The reporter also saw that in Qian Qiang’s posts, almost every section of the road is recorded with its milestone. From 0 km to the current 1,569 km milestone, almost every milestone has been recorded on his phone.
Final destination: Friendship Bridge in Tibet
Although there are still nearly 4,000 kilometers to the final destination, Friendship Bridge in Tibet, Qian Qiang remains resolute and says he will see it through: "When I chose this route, I never thought about giving up. Even when I encountered some difficulties along the way, I didn’t back down but instead looked for ways to overcome them."
Speaking of the travel plan, Qian Qiang remains confident. If all goes well, he expects to reach the final destination around the end of September or early October. During this period, he will also visit a friend in Chengdu to change his gear: "Based on the current pace of traveling light, I expect to arrive in Chengdu around June 5. That’s when I’ll part ways with my comrade Li Qihui, as he will be joining another group. After that, I’ll be on my own. In Chengdu, I’ll make some preparations for heading to the plateau, such as getting some clothes and a tent. Many netizens have also left messages inviting me to visit their homes along the way and have given me all kinds of kind reminders. I’m really grateful to them."
This newspaper will continue to follow Qian Qiang’s journey and show the citizens of Qingdao the version of National Highway 318 seen through the eyes of this young man from Qingdao.