40-year-old Xiaohu is a cycling maniac. Since 1995, he has ridden his bicycle to Tibet nine times. Each trip, spanning thousands of kilometers, takes two months or even longer. Xiaohu lives in Jinshan, Fuzhou. From Fuzhou to Tibet, his tire tracks, smiles, and personal growth have been left along the way.
“The first time I went to Tibet, I only had a destination—no plan, no backup”
“It was in 1995 when I first rode my bike to Tibet.” Looking back, Xiaohu admits he was more reckless and impulsive back then. “I agreed to go with a friend, without any plan or preparation—just knew the destination. We each packed our clothes, took our savings, and just set off.”
Xiaohu said that at the beginning, he had the energy and money, riding and laughing along the way, stopping in towns to find good food. But as time went on, everyone talked less. The real hardship began when they got on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway. Altitude sickness was much worse than expected—the physical discomfort was beyond imagination, with headaches and nausea while pedaling. Reflecting on it now, Xiaohu even laughs. The toughest part was climbing mountains every day—there were always four- or five-thousand-meter-high peaks blocking the way, with steep, long slopes, rain, and hail making it impossible to ride, so they had to push their bikes. It was then that Xiaohu realized that the decision to cycle to Tibet came at a cost.
“Accompanying others to cycle to Tibet, feeling trusted and needed”
“That’s life—for better or worse, you push through.” Despite the physical pain, terrible weather, and not-so-ideal transportation, Xiaohu ultimately fulfilled his dream of cycling to Tibet.
After the first trip, Xiaohu became addicted to cycling to Tibet. Over the 18 years since 1995, he has made the journey nine times in total. When asked why he would put himself through such grueling, self-punishing rides, Xiaohu said it might be related to his personal growth.
Xiaohu was born and raised in the compound of the provincial sports team. “As a kid, looking down from my balcony, the kids on the cycling team were the ones who seemed happiest.” Xiaohu said he eventually joined the cycling team. But after training for two years, he didn’t achieve much success. After retiring, not knowing what to do with his life, he decided to go on a long cycling trip to find direction. “Riding along the road, stopping and going, seeing the world—from carrying a heavy load to gradually freeing my mind. That’s how I gradually matured.”
But what made Xiaohu feel most grown-up was taking friends to cycle to Tibet in recent years. “Whenever a friend wants to go and I can make time, I’ll go.” In this way, Xiaohu felt fully trusted and needed during these cycling trips. “I’ve taken 12 friends to Tibet over the years, and because of the shared hardships and growth, we are destined to be lifelong friends.”