A family from Nanjing, led by Huang Haitao, drove into their 20th stop, Zhengzhou.
Over 150,000 kilometers traveled, 300 days and nights, with a plan to drive around Eurasia. Yesterday, the Huang family from Nanjing arrived at their 20th destination, Zhengzhou. They are the first volunteer family to promote the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.
Yesterday, reporters spotted the travel-worn Huang family on the streets of Zhengzhou as they handed out promotional materials for the Youth Olympic Games. A pickup truck was parked by the roadside, its rear covered in colorful names of Chinese cities. Huang Haitao said the off-road vehicle was specially purchased for this journey and is equipped with tents and sleeping bags.
Huang Haitao and his wife, Huang Furong, are both elementary school teachers. When asked how the idea of driving around Eurasia to promote the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games came about, Huang Haitao recalled that one day in 2010, their daughter saw a news story about seven young men from Xiamen who spent 50 days driving through 15 countries to reach Paris. As an outdoor enthusiast, he began planning a road trip across the Eurasian continent. Coinciding with Nanjing’s preparations to host the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, he decided to give the journey greater meaning—promoting the Games.
Huang Haitao said the pickup truck cost 1.16 million yuan, and the overall travel budget is around 700,000 yuan. The family has used all their savings for this 300-day trip. The road trip also includes their middle school-aged daughter and niece. The couple spent a year and a half in advance writing a 400-page itinerary plan. Both applied for temporary leave from their jobs, while their two children took a year off from school.
Huang Haitao said that after completing their journey through China’s 30 provinces and municipalities, they plan to head to European countries such as Russia and Finland.