A young Beijinger travels across China in 430 days
Is the length of a trip determined by the thickness of one’s wallet? A 24-year-old Beijinger named He Liang disproved this with his actions. After graduating from university in 2011, He Liang saved 14,000 yuan over four and a half months of work, then packed his backpack and set off from Beijing. Relying on the power of the internet and unyielding courage, he hitchhiked 462 rides and stayed with 122 host families, traveling across all provinces and cities in China in 430 days, covering a total distance of over 64,000 kilometers.
On February 8th of this year, the day before Chinese New Year’s Eve, He Liang finally completed his journey and hitchhiked back to Beijing. Busy organizing travel materials during this time, He Liang gave an interview to a reporter yesterday. He said that this trip wasn’t about proving how much ground he had covered; his original intention was simply to broaden his horizons and experience the cultural differences between northern and southern China. But along the way, what impressed him most were not the scenic views, but the warmth and kindness of his fellow countrymen.
Convincing his parents to begin his backpacking journey
“A seemingly insignificant person, yet wanting to conquer every corner of the world with their own two feet.” This is the Weibo signature of “Traveler_He_Liang.” The reporter observed that his Weibo is managed like a travel diary, filled with pictures and text, chronicling his journey across China after departing on November 11th, 2011, through hitchhiking and staying with hosts.
He Liang is a post-80s youth who grew up in Beijing. He quit his job less than half a year after graduating in 2011, wanting to become a “backpacker” on his own terms.
“There are some things, if you don’t do them now, you might never do them in your lifetime.” Holding a borrowed DSLR camera and carrying the dream of traveling across China, He Liang prepared to embark on an unknown journey. At first, his dream did not gain the support of his parents. “Every time I talked to them about it, they would interrupt me before I could finish, rejecting my plans and dreams. By chance, I got on a travel radio show. Before the live broadcast, I asked my parents to wait by the radio. On the show, I fully explained my thoughts, and they listened carefully from beginning to end. In the end, they finally agreed.”
Before leaving, He Liang specifically taught his parents how to use Weibo to follow his updates. “Seeing me update Weibo and upload photos every day, they felt reassured.”
From backpacker to couchsurfer
Initially, He Liang’s plan was only for three months. Three months later, having saved quite a bit by living frugally, he extended the trip to half a year, and eventually to fourteen months.
He Liang had a detailed itinerary carefully planning each leg of the journey. But at a youth hostel in Sanya, a girl changed his perspective. “She was a high school graduate, just like me, also traveling alone,” He Liang said. During their conversation, he discovered that the girl only spent about 500 yuan a month. Her “trick” was relying entirely on posting online to find places to stay — also known among travelers as being a “couchsurfer.” By the time he left Guizhou, He Liang had transformed from a “backpacker” into a “couchsurfer.” He would only plan which cities to go to; once there, how to get around and what to do was all based on advice from his “couch hosts.” He Liang said that before going to a place, he would reach out to potential couch hosts via private message on Weibo about a month in advance. Once he connected with a host, most would agree to meet him as promised and offer help. On October 27th of last year, after arriving in Changchun, a 24-year-old host named Xiao Zhang helped him. Xiao Zhang told He Liang that she worked at a hospital, her schedule was busy, but she also longed to travel on her own, so she was willing to help backpackers like He Liang. She also hoped that when she traveled herself in the future, she could receive similar help.
How to gain the trust of strangers? This was a challenge He Liang faced every day in searching for couch hosts. Actually, it took Xiao Zhang half a month after receiving the private message invitation to follow him on Weibo before she replied. “People these days are cautious — it’s understandable. When I followed her on Weibo and shared her experiences and feelings, that trust was built.”
Enduring hardships and trekking through Motuo in reverse
He Liang’s journey was not as smooth as he had imagined. He was often suspected of being a scammer, rode buses on an empty stomach, and even squeezed in with over a dozen yaks while hitchhiking from Shangri-La to Dali... The journey was tough, but he faced the challenges without fear and persevered. Those who enjoy outdoor hiking know that Motuo County in Tibet is one of the hardest places to traverse in China, and traveling through it in reverse is even more difficult. Normally traversing Motuo starts at a higher altitude, requiring less physical exertion. But doing it in reverse means first descending 700 meters, then climbing over a 4,200-meter snow mountain — extremely taxing. Along the way, He Liang encountered a crucial wooden bridge missing planks over a 3.5-meter section, with a 22-meter-deep cliff below. What to do? He Liang grabbed onto ropes with both hands, hung in midair, and slowly inched his way across.
Warm-hearted and kind fellow travelers moved him
More unforgettable than the hardships and fatigue of the trip were the encouragement and help from warm-hearted people. “During the trip, getting a ride, having a full meal, and finding a place to sleep at night already made me feel very happy. Just the day before Chinese New Year’s Eve this year, I even managed to hitch a ride back to Beijing with a private car at the Jingzang Expressway toll station in Xuanhua, Zhangjiakou,” He Liang told the reporter. The most touching part of the whole journey, he said, was a road construction couple at the foot of Mount Wuyi. In April last year, He Liang hitchhiked from Fuzhou to Mount Wuyi. Accommodation in the scenic area was expensive. By the roadside, a couple laying floor tiles caught his attention. The man was straightforward — after hearing He Liang’s story, he offered him a place to stay at their home. Two beds, one table, four chairs, and one TV... the house was very simple. The next morning at breakfast, a bowl of milk was placed in front of He Liang — the same as what their 11-year-old daughter had. The couple themselves had congee.
“I really didn’t want to drink that bowl of milk — I was truly moved,” He Liang said. During their chat, he learned that the couple was from Chongqing and had been in Mount Wuyi for ten years. Because the ticket prices were expensive, their family of three had never been inside the scenic area. In the end, He Liang took the couple’s daughter into the scenic area. Before leaving, he developed photos for the girl as a keepsake. After the 14-month journey, He Liang said he planned to settle down and look for a job, and also intended to reflect on and summarize the experience. “I really hope to share this experience with college students. I want to tell them that with dreams, there is hope. Be bold, give it your all — that’s what matters.”