In early June 2012, Su Yifeng quit his job as marketing manager at a company and set off from Qingdao to Paris
From June 16 to December 11, 2012, he traveled through 17 countries, covering nearly 20,000 kilometers in a total of 179 days... In early June 2012, Su Yifeng quit his job as marketing manager at a company and set off from Qingdao to Paris. On December 27, 2012, Su Yifeng’s flight arrived in Beijing. During the six-month journey, he experienced all sorts of bizarre incidents: in Kazakhstan, he was once pointed at with a gun; in Germany, he met kind foreigners who booked a hotel for him for free; in the Netherlands, he helped a Chinese young man propose to his girlfriend abroad. He celebrated his 30th birthday during the trip. And after returning to Beijing, his journey wasn’t over. Because before departure, to meet the visa schedule, he had taken a vehicle from Qingdao to Xi'an, and upon returning, he wanted to cover that part by bike.
A Never too old to go crazy
“I was 29 when I set off, facing marriage and having kids. One day, I suddenly realized that if I didn’t go crazy now, I’d never have the chance later.” On the evening of January 7, when a reporter contacted Su Yifeng and asked about the original intention behind his plan, he explained it this way. The young man from Qingdao told the reporter that he is currently resting in a small county in Shaanxi. “From Xi'an back to Qingdao, I couldn’t cycle because of an injury on my leg, so I had to walk.” Su Yifeng said plainly.
Su Yifeng told the reporter that before setting off, he worked as marketing manager at a training company, earning a monthly salary between 6,000 and 10,000 yuan. “No matter when, there are always all kinds of reasons holding you back—like not having enough money, no time, poor physical condition, or work—but the only reason to persuade yourself to hit the road is that I want to go.” he said. Starting in March 2012, he spent three months creating a detailed route map. While applying for visas, he also sought sponsorships online. “For this cycling trip, I applied for three visas: Russia, Kazakhstan, and the Schengen visa. Russia didn’t require an interview, and the paperwork was simple. Kazakhstan needed an invitation letter, and the queue was a hassle, but the rejection rate wasn’t high. The Schengen is a collective visa for over twenty European countries, requiring an interview and more paperwork, but the approval rate for a three-month travel visa is still relatively high.”
B Ran an online store while traveling and earned over 20,000 yuan for travel expenses
From Qingdao to Paris, France, passing through 17 countries in half a year, even with constant cost-cutting, the expenses for equipment, food, and lodging during the trip were still considerable. “I probably spent around thirty to forty thousand yuan in these six months,” Su Yifeng said.
On the other hand, he also had to pay over 4,000 yuan in mortgage every month. So for Su Yifeng, money was still an issue he had to consider. “To earn more travel expenses, I opened a Taobao store online, where I write postcards for netizens to send to friends or family in each city I visit.” Su Yifeng told the reporter. He charged 39 yuan per postcard, and as his follower count grew, business at the store got better and better. “The first thing I do when arriving in a new city is to go to the post office to send postcards. At most, I wrote over a hundred in a day, taking five or six hours.”
Besides writing postcards, he also added another service to the Taobao store: helping customers do something locally. In the Netherlands, a young man in China contacted him, asking him to propose to a girl in the Netherlands on his behalf. “He gave me the girl’s address and contact info, and asked me to tell her, ‘Stop drifting abroad, come back and marry me.’” Su Yifeng recalled. He found the girl, delivered the message, and she was quite moved, even offering to treat him to a meal, but he politely declined.
Su Yifeng told the reporter, “The online store earned about twenty thousand yuan in these six months, and I wrote over seven hundred postcards. Plus, I had secured some sponsorships in advance, so out of my own pocket, I only spent less than ten thousand yuan for the whole trip.”
C In Kazakhstan, he was once pointed at with a gun
Su Yifeng told the reporter that every night during the trip, he would organize the day’s experiences. “All the thrilling and exciting things I encountered could be made into a movie. This journey was my 30th birthday gift to myself.” Su Yifeng said.
“In early August 2012, while in Kazakhstan, I was once pointed at with a gun by two Kazakhs who claimed to be police officers.” Speaking of this, Su Yifeng still feels a bit shaken. “It was the third day after arriving in Kazakhstan. I encountered two Kazakhs in police uniforms who stopped me, saying they needed to check my passport.” Su Yifeng recalled. Since his passport and visa were properly processed and checked before entry, he couldn’t understand why they insisted there was a problem and tried to get him into their car. Due to the language barrier, he couldn’t confirm their identities. “They pulled me into the car, one of them pointed a gun at my waist, and another grabbed my collar. I didn’t think much at the time and just shook his hand off. Who knew he then moved the gun from my waist to my head.” Su Yifeng recalled, “My mind went blank, and I had no choice but to get into the car with them.”
Once inside the car, the two “police officers” gestured in simple English, “300 dollars.” Su Yifeng then suddenly realized. “Many backpackers have encountered situations like this here.” After negotiating with the “police” for several hours, Su Yifeng paid 60 dollars to finally get away safely.
D A German he met on the road booked a hotel for him for free
Despite the dangers along the way, when Su Yifeng reached Europe, he still encountered many touching moments. “In Europe, many foreigners, upon hearing that I had cycled all the way from China, were very warm and asked if I needed help. They told me, ‘I hope that when you look back on this place in the future, it’s all with good memories.’” Su Yifeng said.
In Germany, Su Yifeng met a German man who was also cycling. “At the time, he was also on a bike, so we cycled together for a while. My English was okay, and while chatting, I asked him if there were any cheap hotels in the small town ahead. He looked serious and said he wasn’t sure. Then we went our separate ways.” Su Yifeng said. He thought they wouldn’t meet again, but to his surprise, a few hours later, the German drove up behind him. “He handed me a note with an address and phone number, and told me it was a hotel in the small town ahead, not too expensive.”
“When I chatted with the German, I told him my English name. When I found the hotel, I saw that it was nicely decorated—it was definitely not a cheap family inn. Just as I was about to leave, the staff stopped me and said someone had already booked a room for me and paid for two nights.” Su Yifeng said, “I called the number the German left to thank him, and he said, ‘I hope that when you look back on Germany in the future, it’s all with good memories.’”