With just a bicycle, a tent, and a stack of promotional flyers, Fang Deyong, a man from Henan, embarked on a solo journey across thousands of miles, all to advocate for acts of bravery. On January 5, he finally reached the 95th stop of his journey—Zhengzhou.
“Public welfare organizations have conducted surveys showing that Henan has the highest number of acts of bravery. I want to encourage my fellow hometown folks to not only stand up for what’s right but to do so wisely,” said Fang Deyong, who had just arrived back in his hometown, at the “Act Bravely, Reject Indifference” signature campaign event at Zhengzhou Dennis Five Worlds on that day.
At the event site, Fang Deyong’s bicycle rear seat was piled high with signature banners, flags, promotional flyers, and some daily necessities, weighing a total of about 100 pounds. Fang Deyong himself was dressed in red and yellow sporty warm clothing, emblazoned with the words “Act bravely, reject indifference, starting with you and me.”
It is reported that Fang Deyong, 45, is from Tongbai, Henan. Since childhood, he has had a strong sense of justice. Although he has run companies, been a boss, and lived a comfortable life while engaging in many charitable activities, none of this brought him true satisfaction. In October 2011, the public indifference shown during the “Xiao Yueyue” incident triggered societal reflection and also moved Fang Deyong, making him feel that he should do something in this area.
On March 15, 2012, Fang Deyong prepared everything needed for his cycling trip at his own expense. Starting from Shenzhen, he rode northward along National Highway 107, passing through Guangdong, Hunan, and Hubei, then turned eastward to the three northeastern provinces before reaching the municipality of Tianjin. Around New Year’s Day 2013, he traveled from Hebei to Henan.
“In ten months, I covered 8 provinces and 1 municipality. I plan to travel across the whole of China in three years to spread the concept of acts of bravery and how to carry them out wisely,” said Fang Deyong. Wherever he goes, he promotes rational acts of bravery. Everyone can consider their own abilities—if they see someone in trouble, even if they can’t directly lend a hand, they can make a phone call or call others to help together. “In this way, our society will become warmer because of these actions.”
Fang Deyong said that he already has hundreds of signature banners at home. Every time he arrives at a place, besides promoting his cause in crowded areas and giving speeches at local schools, he also collects as many public signatures and government department seals as possible. There is only one goal—to gather signatures of support from at least 100 million people and submit them to the National People’s Congress, calling for the country to introduce comprehensive laws and regulations regarding acts of bravery as soon as possible.