Xia Lu eats while traveling. Photo provided by himself.
“At 11 a.m., I set off from Yangshuo, Guangxi, hiked over 40 kilometers, then hitched a free ride and arrived in Longsheng County, Guangxi.” At 7 p.m. last night, 28-year-old Xia Lu from Wuhan told reporters over the phone.
He has been on such backpacking treks for nearly three months. In September this year, he set off alone from Wuhan with just 400 yuan in cash to begin a “naked trip,” planning to walk through 12 provinces and municipalities within a year.
Setting off alone with just 400 yuan
It is reported that after graduating from the secondary vocational school of Hubei Police College in 2002, Xia Lu worked at places like the Wuhan office of Danone Group, engaging in market sales and similar jobs. In 2010, he invested over 70,000 yuan with a classmate to start a marketing and planning company. “Last year we had sales of over 7 million yuan, and my annual income was over 100,000 yuan.”
Xia Lu said he used to have a habit of “recklessly spending money” and basically had no savings after a decade of work. “After ten years of hustling, I felt I’d always been restless, so I wanted to hit the road alone to find myself.” Xia Lu said that after discussing with his classmate in August this year, they shut down the company, and he began preparing for the trip.
When he set off, Xia Lu only brought 400 yuan in cash and an empty bank card, “for emergency transfers if needed.”
Earned 1,700 yuan by working along the way
Starting from Wuhan on September 6, Xia Lu traveled through Xianning, Changsha and Zhangjiajie in Hunan, Dehang, then to Zhenyuan, Duyun and Dushan in Guizhou, and onward to Du’an, Nanning and Yangshuo in Guangxi. As of yesterday, he had covered a total distance of over 4,000 kilometers by hiking and hitchhiking.
“I usually walk along national or provincial roads first, and when I get tired, I hitch a free ride.” Xia Lu said he would walk during the day and rest at night. To earn some “travel money,” he also stayed for one month each in Changsha and Yangshuo, working in fast-food restaurants and bars, earning a total of 1,700 yuan.
Plans to keep going until next September
His next destination is Guiyang. Xia Lu’s route will take him from Guiyang to Chongqing to Xi’an in Shaanxi, then onward through Ningxia and Gansu to Xinjiang, “I’ll spend Spring Festival in Xinjiang.” After the holiday, he will head to Dali and Lijiang in Yunnan, then follow the Yunnan-Tibet Highway to Tibet, continue along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway to Ya’an and Chengdu in Sichuan, and is expected to arrive in Chengdu next September.
Xia Lu said that apart from a few close friends, his parents still have no idea about the trip. “I mentioned it to them before leaving, but they strongly opposed it. During this time, whenever they call, I just say I’m on a business trip.” Xia Lu said his entrepreneurial parents hope he settles down and starts a family soon and have been pressuring him to get married. “I’ll have to talk about it after I return to Wuhan next year.”
“All in all, I plan to go through 12 provinces and municipalities.” Xia Lu said that no matter how tough the road ahead may be, he will keep going.