The “Special Spring Festival Travel Rush” of 7 University Students
Last Saturday, seven students from Foshan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong University of Technology, and South China University of Technology gathered to cycle home for the Lunar New Year, embarking on their unique “Spring Festival travel journey.” The three-day, two-night ride was like a scene from the movie “Lost in Thailand”—they encountered various challenges. Though physically exhausted and mentally tested, the group supported each other and ultimately safely reached their hometowns. Their travel records include photos proving they really cycled all the way home.
Heading Home: Cycling an Average of 11 Hours Per Day
During the Spring Festival travel rush, many people lament how hard it is to get a train ticket home. However, the reason these seven students chose to cycle wasn’t due to ticket scarcity—it was because they love cycling.
So when the Foshan University Cycling Association launched the “Return to Eastern Guangdong Cycling Group” activity, Cai Peifeng, who loves cycling, didn’t hesitate to sign up. “I just wanted to try a different way of going home. Cycling back is fun—you can enjoy the scenery along the way and gain some new experiences.” Among the seven students, the youngest is Xie Guangxin, a freshman majoring in applied psychology at Foshan University. Three other students from South China University of Technology, Guangdong University of Technology, and Sun Yat-sen University shared the same idea.
At 6:30 a.m. last Saturday, four Foshan University students set off eagerly under the rising sun. Their first stop was Guangzhou to meet the other three students before beginning their joint journey home. Full of enthusiasm and eager to reunite with their families, the group cycled over 190 km on the first day and more than 140 km on the second. On average, they cycled around 11 hours per day over the three-day trip, with the longest stretch being 13 hours on the first day.
Challenges: Three Flat Tires in Two Days, Had to Beg for Water
Cai Peifeng told reporters that his home is in Puning, which takes just over five hours by vehicle. But in the end, the longest-distance riders among them took three days to get home. Along the way, they passed through five cities—Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Shanwei, and Jieyang—mostly following National Highway G324, then transferring to provincial roads.
The journey included a few “minor incidents.” Due to the long hours on the bike, flat tires were inevitable. One student got three flat tires on the first day. Everyone joked that he was having an “extreme streak of bad luck,” but while he fixed his tires, they used the break to rest. Before departure, the group had prepared various snacks, but they couldn’t fully compensate for the physical exertion. Just two hours into the ride, Xie Guangxin felt extremely hungry. During a meal stop, he bought eight steamed buns to take with them on the road, earning him the nickname “Bun Bro.”
Despite the fatigue, the students were cheered by the kindness of strangers. Once, Xie Guangxin ran out of the water he brought and couldn’t find a convenience store, so he went to a gas station to ask for boiled water—and unexpectedly received two bottles of mineral water. At noon on the second day, while eating lunch in Renshan Town, Huidong County, they met a very hospitable shop owner who not only refilled their water but also gave them extra dishes and even gifted them sugarcane upon leaving. The students were deeply moved.
“What’s the happiest thing in the world? Eating after a long downhill!” the students said. Sometimes, when they saw an especially long and steep hill ahead, they’d almost give up—but what kept them going was the thrill of speeding down afterward.
Expenses:
Total cost for food and lodging over two nights: 145 yuan
Over the three-day trip, they stayed at two small hotels. Because they were concerned about the safety of their bikes, they carried them into their rooms every night.
Xie Guangxin said he spent a total of 145 yuan, including money for snacks. He mentioned that the bus ticket home to Jieyang cost about the same—prices rise during the Spring Festival travel season. Cai Peifeng spent a total of 140 yuan. He said each meal averaged 8–10 yuan, and they shared beds to save on lodging costs: the first night was 20 yuan, the second 17 yuan. “The ticket to my home costs 120 yuan, so I effectively spent 20 yuan more,” Cai Peifeng said.
Though they didn’t save much money, the students were happy with the scenery along the way. Upon arriving in new places, they made the most of their time to explore. Even though they were exhausted from cycling during the day in their Haifeng hotel, the group still hit the local food street and commercial area for late-night snacks and market strolls, not returning to rest until 11 p.m.
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