Dai Wei, a 21-year-old student from Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, carried 40 pounds of luggage and a trekking pole as he backpacked through Tibet for 30 days. During this month-long journey, he “saw some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.” However, including the cost of round-trip train tickets and souvenirs, his total expenditure was just 1412 yuan. All his expenses came from the wages he earned during two months of part-time work before the trip.
Dai Wei used a very “whimsical” sentence to explain to Modern Express reporters why he chose to travel to Tibet: “I don’t have a perfect reason, I just know deep down that the sky there is blue, the water is clear, and between the vast green mountains flow simple, heartfelt stories.”
However, despite the “whimsical” vibe, Dai Wei is a true science major. He is currently a sophomore at Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, majoring in applied chemistry. Dai Wei traveled to Tibet during this summer vacation. Two days ago marked his 100th day back in Nanjing, and on that day, he posted his well-organized travelogue online, which drew widespread amazement. The total expense of 1400 yuan, a life of near-monastic simplicity... Although netizens were astonished, Dai Wei found it all quite ordinary. With a small knife and a trekking pole in hand, and his existing down jacket and hiking shoes packed into a large schoolbag, he set off from Nanjing on July 3rd of this year and boarded a train to Lhasa.
As early as five months prior, Dai Wei began nightly running training; and starting two months before the trip, he also began saving for travel expenses—working part-time jobs on campus, acting as a campus promotional agent for an educational institution, and distributing flyers. Over the course of two months, he earned about 1500 yuan. Coming from a rural family, the more than 1000 yuan for travel was a significant expense, so he had to figure out a way himself. He wanted to prove that “travel has no direct relation to one’s family background. Only when every penny you spend comes from your own efforts can you truly understand the meaning of travel.”
Dai Wei bought a student ticket, costing a total of just over 400 yuan round-trip. That means his food and lodging expenses added up to only a little over 800 yuan, averaging less than 20 yuan per day. Food in Tibetan areas isn’t cheap, but Dai Wei’s most expensive meal was fried rice at 10 yuan. For accommodation, he stayed in youth hostels for around 40 yuan a night, with the cheapest options being only 15 yuan. For a week, he even stayed with Tibetan families. When all else failed, he slept by the roadside. Along the way, he mostly hitchhiked or walked. On National Highway 318, there were times when he couldn’t see a single car for half a day, and he simply had to “push through” with his walking stick.
The biggest takeaway for Dai Wei during these 30 days was that “there are a lot of good people.” In a small village in a county south of Lhasa, it was raining and there were no guesthouses available. He took shelter under the eaves of a local family’s house to avoid the rain. Unexpectedly, within moments, the homeowner opened the door and asked, “Do you have a place to stay tonight?” They invited him in, served him a hot meal, prepared his bed for the night, and refused to accept any money the next day.
He spent 17 days in Lhasa and then walked along National Highway 318 for 13 days. On August 3rd, exactly one month after setting off, Dai Wei returned to school. “Along the way, I saw so much—I want to see even more.” Dai Wei plans to earn another 1500 yuan and, during this winter vacation, save up to go to Hong Kong. “Take the train and ferry there, spend about 10 days exploring, not spending on anything, just to see the place.”