Cycling around China, embarking on a thought-provoking journey of life—according to the cyclist himself, this was simply the fulfillment of something he ought to do, loved doing, was capable of, had the means for, and that held meaning. It was ordinary, everyday stuff. His name is Chen Chaosheng, 54 years old. Not long ago, he just completed a “Journey Across China” that lasted 17 months, covered more than 28,000 kilometers, and had a total distance of over 37,000 kilometers.
Setting Off with a Purpose: More Than Travel, It’s a Quest for Knowledge
When we met Chen Chaosheng, he had just returned from his morning ride, still clad in his “battle gear.” No sooner had he sat down than he began chatting enthusiastically. He said the idea of cycling around China had come to him long ago, but it wasn’t until after retirement that he had the time to make it happen. He said cycling wasn’t just about the scenery along the way. “I set off with a very strong and clear proposition. Rather than calling it a trip, it’s more like an investigation, a hands-on journey.”
In fact, his ride was indeed more than just travel. Even averaging over 110 kilometers per day, Chen Chaosheng still kept a diary. Two thick notebooks were filled edge to edge with everything he saw and felt along the way—from natural geography and local customs to town development and new rural construction, from renewable energy exploration to reflections on modern industrial civilization, as well as critiques of overconsumption and commercialization. “The purpose of travel is to seek knowledge, to conduct a social investigation, to gather sparks of thought,” Chen said.
Traversing Mountains and Rivers, All for the Emotions in His Heart
In April 2011, Chen Chaosheng set off from Dongxing City in Guangxi, traveling alone along the eastern coastline. He welcomed the first day of the Year of the Dragon in Mohe Arctic Village at minus 45 degrees Celsius, admired the dawn in the uninhabited areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of 4,200 meters, slept under bridges, in railway dispatch rooms, Mongolian yurts, and even hospital beds in rural clinics. He once ate nothing but boiled noodles with Chinese cabbage for an entire month. In Mohe, a typical southerner, he wanted to experience the northern winter and stayed for a full four and a half months, spending his days reading and studying sociology aside from eating and sleeping.
“In Mudanjiang, I met another traveler going in the opposite direction. Through our conversation, I got a glimpse into the inner world of a 35-year-old laid-off worker. In Lhasa, I learned to pray with the locals every morning by circumambulating the Potala Palace. The sacredness of that pure land is something you wouldn’t understand.”
From all corners of the country, through white mountains and black waters, enduring the Arctic winter, beneath the prairie moon, passing through Ningxia and Gansu, venturing into the borders of Xinjiang, scaling the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and weaving through Yunnan and Guangxi—Chen Chaosheng divided his journey into chapters, composing a symphony of life.
Setting Off Again Next Year: The Next 30 Years Have Just Begun
In the text messages Chen Chaosheng organized after returning home, he recorded the questions he was asked most often along the way.
Q: Where are you from? Where are you going?
A: From Guangxi. Cycling around China.
Q: Why put yourself through such hardship when there are easier things to enjoy?
A: Just like some people love mahjong, cards, karaoke, dancing, smoking, drinking, hiking, or fishing—cycling is my passion. There’s joy even in the hardship and exhaustion.
Q: Isn’t it dangerous out there? Aren’t you scared? And isn’t it lonely traveling alone?
A: Yes, it’s scary. There are risks in everything we do, so we take precautions and hope for the best. Finding travel companions depends on fate; but even alone, one should be able to do something meaningful.
Q: After visiting so many places, which one did you like best?
A: Every place is beautiful, but my favorite is still my hometown.
Chen Chaosheng’s blog is called “Knight of Life.” In his eyes, life should be a joyful song sung with wings spread wide. He says cycling around China is just the first step in his 30-year life plan. Next year, he also plans to cycle along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, hike through the Lop Nur Desert in Xinjiang, and drive through Ali and other regions.