“We’re about to take on a new challenge!” The island city’s cycling enthusiasts, 57-year-old Xue Pingshan and 48-year-old Zhang Chuanyong, will depart from Huangdao District on February 19, heading for Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The entire journey spans approximately 8,500 kilometers and is expected to take just over two months.
On the afternoon of February 17, Xue Pingshan and Zhang Chuanyong came to the lobby of our newspaper, announcing their plan to cycle to Nepal. They produced several sheets of paper outlining their itinerary. One sheet featured a route map, with Qingdao as the starting point and Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, as the destination. Another sheet listed around 60 place names in detail, along with a number: “That’s the distance we plan to cycle each day, and the overnight stops are mostly decided.”
The pair told reporters that the ride will begin on February 19, the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, from Tangdao Bay in Huangdao District. They plan to pass through Rizhao, Lianyungang, Nanjing, and other cities, aiming to arrive in Hainan on March 14. From there, they will cross the Yunnan-Tibet Highway, pass through Lhasa and the Everest Base Camp, and eventually reach their destination. “The entire trip is about 8,500 kilometers and is expected to take two months and five days.”
Zhang Chuanyong said that after reaching Nepal, they plan to take a train back to Qingdao and then start writing a book, which will include cycling experiences and tips.
“Last year we used point-and-shoot cameras, and the photos weren’t very clear. This time we’ve switched to DSLRs,” Zhang Chuanyong said, explaining that this would help them document the journey better. In addition, the two plan to keep travel journals and stay in touch with our newspaper to report on their progress along the way.