This 71-year-old man from Liuzhou, Guangxi, Zhao Peng, was fully geared up, wearing a helmet, sunglasses, a biker’s jacket, and riding a motorcycle. The elderly man had a ruddy complexion, a sturdy build, and a strong voice.
After retiring in 1998, Zhao Peng was hospitalized for three years due to high blood pressure and heart disease. When he was discharged in 2001, the doctor advised him to eat light food and avoid meat to prevent his blood pressure from rising.
His wife cooked only vegetables for him for a month, but he wasn’t getting enough nutrition and was almost physically exhausted. He thought to himself, avoiding meat altogether — this isn’t a sustainable long-term health plan.
Zhao Peng loves traveling. He thought, if traveling could help him exercise and lower his blood pressure, wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone? So he wanted to tour China by motorcycle, but his family opposed the idea, mainly because of his age and concerns over safety.
Later, after Zhao Peng shared the story of a colleague who passed away early due to illness and explained how traveling could benefit his health, his wife and son finally agreed to his plan. When his travel funds ran low, his son would send him money and offer moral support.
Jingzhou is more beautiful than before
Starting in 2001, Zhao Peng began his self-driving travels. Every year, he would make travel plans and go on trips three or four times, sometimes for as long as half a year, other times for three months. As early as before 2006, Zhao Peng had visited 25 provinces and cities across the country, and he had been to Jingzhou that year.
On that trip to Jingzhou, he had been planning to go to Russia. After arriving in Jingzhou, he met Hu Zhiqiang, a then 28-year-old local young man, and the two became friends despite their age difference. Yesterday when he returned to Jingzhou, Hu Zhiqiang met up with him again. The once unmarried young man now has a child who is five or six years old. Hu Zhiqiang brought his child along, and the child kept calling Zhao Peng “grandpa.”
When talking about his impression of Jingzhou, Zhao Peng said that back then the city was smaller, the streets not as bustling as they are now. Today, there are high-rises everywhere, the streets are cleaner, and people are friendlier and more hospitable.
In August 2008, after watching the Beijing Olympics and returning, Zhao Peng passed through Jingzhou again. He said that riding a motorcycle on long journeys is not only a sport and a joy, but also a kind of enjoyment. It is precisely because of such experiences that he has come to feel the greatness of the motherland.
Old illnesses no longer recur after traveling
Yesterday, at the Beijing Road Motorcycle Market, Zhao Peng’s off-road motorcycle was being serviced. Seeing the reporter arrive, he took out a few treasures from his trunk: an album, a business card holder, and a stack of newspapers — all of which recorded his journey.
Every time he goes on a trip, he brings these treasures along. The business card holder contains hundreds of cards, many from media friends. In every city he visits, journalists interview him and document his story.
Since he started traveling, Zhao Peng’s high blood pressure and heart disease have never recurred. Reflecting on his years of travel, he summed it up in one sentence: “Those who are always afraid of aging live more timidly as they grow older; those who understand the laws of nature live with better mindsets as they age; those elderly who enjoy happiness are the most resistant to aging; face life with a smile, and run toward 100!”
Zhao Peng said he hopes more elderly people can travel like him to strengthen their bodies.
After retiring in 1998, Zhao Peng was hospitalized for three years due to high blood pressure and heart disease. When he was discharged in 2001, the doctor advised him to eat light food and avoid meat to prevent his blood pressure from rising.
His wife cooked only vegetables for him for a month, but he wasn’t getting enough nutrition and was almost physically exhausted. He thought to himself, avoiding meat altogether — this isn’t a sustainable long-term health plan.
Zhao Peng loves traveling. He thought, if traveling could help him exercise and lower his blood pressure, wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone? So he wanted to tour China by motorcycle, but his family opposed the idea, mainly because of his age and concerns over safety.
Later, after Zhao Peng shared the story of a colleague who passed away early due to illness and explained how traveling could benefit his health, his wife and son finally agreed to his plan. When his travel funds ran low, his son would send him money and offer moral support.
Jingzhou is more beautiful than before
Starting in 2001, Zhao Peng began his self-driving travels. Every year, he would make travel plans and go on trips three or four times, sometimes for as long as half a year, other times for three months. As early as before 2006, Zhao Peng had visited 25 provinces and cities across the country, and he had been to Jingzhou that year.
On that trip to Jingzhou, he had been planning to go to Russia. After arriving in Jingzhou, he met Hu Zhiqiang, a then 28-year-old local young man, and the two became friends despite their age difference. Yesterday when he returned to Jingzhou, Hu Zhiqiang met up with him again. The once unmarried young man now has a child who is five or six years old. Hu Zhiqiang brought his child along, and the child kept calling Zhao Peng “grandpa.”
When talking about his impression of Jingzhou, Zhao Peng said that back then the city was smaller, the streets not as bustling as they are now. Today, there are high-rises everywhere, the streets are cleaner, and people are friendlier and more hospitable.
In August 2008, after watching the Beijing Olympics and returning, Zhao Peng passed through Jingzhou again. He said that riding a motorcycle on long journeys is not only a sport and a joy, but also a kind of enjoyment. It is precisely because of such experiences that he has come to feel the greatness of the motherland.
Old illnesses no longer recur after traveling
Yesterday, at the Beijing Road Motorcycle Market, Zhao Peng’s off-road motorcycle was being serviced. Seeing the reporter arrive, he took out a few treasures from his trunk: an album, a business card holder, and a stack of newspapers — all of which recorded his journey.
Every time he goes on a trip, he brings these treasures along. The business card holder contains hundreds of cards, many from media friends. In every city he visits, journalists interview him and document his story.
Since he started traveling, Zhao Peng’s high blood pressure and heart disease have never recurred. Reflecting on his years of travel, he summed it up in one sentence: “Those who are always afraid of aging live more timidly as they grow older; those who understand the laws of nature live with better mindsets as they age; those elderly who enjoy happiness are the most resistant to aging; face life with a smile, and run toward 100!”
Zhao Peng said he hopes more elderly people can travel like him to strengthen their bodies.
After lunch yesterday, Zhao Peng continued his journey. When contacted last night, he had already reached Jiangling. He mentioned he had caught a cold, but said it was nothing serious. Today he plans to head to Jianli, then make his way through Jiangxi and Guangdong before returning to Guangxi.
Zhao Peng said that in June this year, he wants to visit Taiwan to see Sun Moon Lake.
Zhao Peng said that in June this year, he wants to visit Taiwan to see Sun Moon Lake.