Elderly Yang Baosheng during his cycling trip around Taiwan (photo provided by Yang Baosheng himself).
12 Days of Cycling Through Wind and Rain, Sleeping in a Tent Every Night
Relying on just a bicycle, 62-year-old Yang Baosheng from Shandong Province completed a solo cycling tour around Taiwan Island. Over the 12 days, he slept in his own tent every night. To complete the journey within the visa period, he once cycled non-stop for a full day and night. His approach has attracted attention from several local media outlets.
Cycling Through Wind and Rain Without Stopping
Pushing the Bike When Too Tired to Pedal
Recently, Yang Baosheng returned to Jinan, dust-covered but having accomplished his planned journey. Over the previous 12 days, he completed a solo cycling tour around Taiwan Island with an extraordinary perseverance that few could imagine.
Yang Baosheng, his skin tanned from the island sun, said that seeing Taiwan with his own eyes had been a dream of his for 16 years. In 1996, after cycling through all 31 provincial-level regions of mainland China, he had long wanted to go on a “self-driving tour” of Taiwan, the precious island of the motherland. But that idea was simply impossible to realize at the time. On October 8 of this year, the opportunity came. With the support of Shandong Jiahua International Travel Agency, he flew directly from Jinan to Taipei.
On October 10, Yang Baosheng bought a bicycle locally. Starting from Taipei as his first stop, he carried 50 to 60 pounds of gear and began cycling around the island counterclockwise, passing through Tamsui, Guanyin, Da’an, Budai, Beimen, Eluanbi, Daren, Chenggong, and Nan’ao, among other places. The coastal mountain roads in eastern Taiwan, with their rugged terrain and some particularly treacherous sections, forced him to get off and push his bike. On rainy days, he wrapped up his gear and pressed on through the rain. At 62 years old, he didn’t stay in a single hotel. When he was too tired, he pitched his tent by the roadside, near temples, or at police stations. To finish the Taiwan trip within the 15-day visa period, during the toughest times he cycled continuously for a whole day and night, resting only briefly by the roadside.
Fellow Compatriots Eagerly Take Photos Together
Taiwan Media Covers the Story Continuously
Despite the hardships of cycling travel, the beautiful mountains and seas of the island, along with its unique local customs, deeply enchanted the elderly man. Each day, he felt recharged and headed eagerly to the next destination.
In Yang Baosheng’s view, everywhere he went felt like a town in southern mainland China — the houses, shops, residents, and even the language all felt familiar. Taiwanese people were generally very warm. When they saw a mainland tourist cycling around the entire island, some would shout “Keep it up!” or ask “Do you need something to eat?” Along the way, he also ran into a fellow mainlander, who later often called to check on him. The police on the island were also very friendly. Yang Baosheng often went to local police stations to get drinking water. Everywhere he went, he visited the local post office to get a stamp.
Taiwanese media showed great interest in the solo trip of Shandong elder Yang Baosheng. Both the Taiwan Times and United Daily News reported on his journey. A reporter from Apple Daily called him every day to ask where he was, and even drove 140 kilometers from Taipei to Nan’ao to interview him. Local residents, upon seeing the reports, would say, “Isn’t that the Shandong elder?” and then ask to take photos with him, treating him like a celebrity. After returning to Jinan, CCTV also took a strong interest in his story and has reached out to invite him to Beijing for an interview.
Yang Baosheng said that after completing his first major cycling trip around the island, his next solo trip to Taiwan will focus on the Central Mountain Range. He plans to set off again in about ten days, when he will truly fulfill his dream and goal of “cycling across China and measuring Taiwan.”