Two young men from Guiyang embarked on a “thousand-mile solo bike ride” to celebrate the Spring Festival at Wudang Mountain. Unfortunately, they lost their money in Hubei and, out of desperation, hoped to “transfer” ownership of their bicycles to raise enough funds for the trip home. Touched by their misfortune, local residents generously donated money.
Yesterday, in front of the Xinhua Bookstore on Cuiwei Road in Hanyang, Zhang Tao, wearing a field survival windbreaker and a professional cycling helmet, and his companion Wang Qiang sat hunched on the roadside. In front of them was a “begging” sign: “We are travelers who have encountered difficulties in your honorable place. Temporarily in need, we ask for a few yuan to buy some food and cover transportation costs (all equipment can be transferred). Thank you!”
Seeing the two young men stranded in a foreign place during the New Year, many passersby handed them five or ten yuan, and some even bought them baked sweet potatoes and hot dry noodles to tide them over. Deeply moved by the kindness of the locals, the two youths repeatedly expressed their gratitude.
Zhang Tao said he is a cycling enthusiast who usually enjoys riding on weekends. This was his first long-distance bike trip with Wang Qiang, with Wudang Mountain as their destination.
They set off from home on the 28th day of the 12th lunar month and arrived in our city on New Year’s Day. Following their pre-planned travel itinerary, they visited the Yellow Crane Tower and sampled snacks at Hubu Alley.
“After cycling all day and eating, we got warm and changed clothes. We may have lost our most important small bag during the switch—it had our phones, wallets, and IDs inside. Now we’re completely stuck and can’t even contact our families or friends.”
Zhang Tao said their multi-speed mountain bikes are almost new. “We spent more than 8,000 yuan on the bikes and have used them for less than a month. If anyone wants them, we’ll sell them for 2,000 yuan.”