Zhang Ke and teammates take a photo on the road.
With the June graduation season approaching, a spontaneous trip has become the aspiration of many graduates. Recently, three senior students from Wuhan University of Technology spontaneously decided to hit the Yunnan-Tibet Highway and live-streamed their journey on Weibo, drawing public attention.
"Low-budget travel" costs just 100 yuan per day
At 7 p.m. last night, after a day of cycling, Zhang Ke, a senior student from the School of Management at Wuhan University of Technology, and his teammates arrived in Shangri-La. After finding a cheap hotel, the three decided to take a brief rest here. They still have over half a month of tough travel ahead before reaching their destination on the Yunnan-Tibet route — the Potala Palace.
"This was a spontaneous trip," Zhang Ke told reporters. To challenge himself, he had long planned to cycle to Tibet but had never made up his mind. It wasn’t until March 28, when he discussed the plan with a classmate, that he decided to set off. After preparing for a week, the three took a train to Kunming and began their Yunnan-Tibet journey.
"At first we were very excited, but later we started to feel physically exhausted," Zhang Ke said. To keep costs down, the three planned to spend around 100 yuan per day. The toughest parts were cycling under the blazing sun or tackling steep slopes, which often left them dizzy and forced to take breaks in the shade.
During the ride, they didn’t forget to post on Weibo with messages like "send us flowers, send us blessings." Zhang Ke said they hoped this would add some pressure and motivation to push themselves to the finish line.
Many graduates yearn to "go wild" once
Reporters randomly interviewed students at Wuhan University of Technology, Hubei University, and other colleges yesterday, finding that about half of the graduates surveyed expressed plans for a graduation trip, hoping to "go wild" during their final days in college.
Sun Zhao, a recent graduate from Yangtze River Vocational College, said she and nine classmates traveled to Nanjing and Suzhou during the Qingming Festival, with each person spending about 3,000 yuan.
Next month, Huang Cong, a senior from the School of Resources and Environment at Wuhan University of Technology, will embark on a graduation trip to Xiamen and other places with her roommates. She is now busy finishing experiments related to her graduation thesis.
Most school authorities do not support graduation travel
While commemorating four years of university life through a graduation trip is seen as a romantic aspiration by students, the school and teachers mostly do not support it. Yesterday, Zhang Ke, who was cycling on the Yunnan-Tibet route, received a call from a school teacher asking them to end the trip as soon as possible and return to campus.
A relevant official from the Student Affairs Office of Wuhan University of Technology stated that due to considerations such as students’ personal safety, the school does not support students organizing graduation trips on their own.
Professor Ma Yong, Dean of the Tourism Development Research Institute at Hubei University, noted that with societal development, graduation travel among college students has become increasingly popular. As a way to enhance friendships, it should be recognized. He suggested that, without affecting academic studies, students can undertake medium- to short-distance graduation trips through legitimate travel agencies. However, for spontaneously organized adventurous long-distance trips, proper planning, contingency preparation, and keeping in contact with the school are essential.