Xue Fei takes a photo in front of the Potala Palace.
The seemingly delicate post-90s university student Xue Fei decided during the summer vacation to cycle to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, for a trip. He set off from Xi'an and took 47 days, encountering harsh weather such as heavy fog, torrential rain, and hail along the way. He also rode through three days of muddy roads, and at the most difficult times, he even thought about giving up, but ultimately relied on his strong perseverance to reach the destination.
Prepared for the cycling trip for a year
In front of the reporter, Xue Fei wears glasses, is not tall, and is slim. He is a student majoring in Chinese Language and Literature at Xi’an International University and will be entering his senior year this fall.
“This decision wasn’t actually sudden—I had been preparing for a year,” Xue Fei said. He has always loved traveling and even cycled to the ancient city of Pingyao during last year’s National Day holiday. “At that time, I also doubted whether I could make it, but the process turned out to be easier than I imagined.”
To prepare for this trip to Nepal, Xue Fei worked part-time for six months to save up travel funds. In addition, he cycled to the Qinling Mountains every weekend to build up his stamina. “I also read many books about Nepal’s geography and local customs to understand the place better, and I applied for my passport in advance.”
Almost gave up when riding through muddy roads
On July 7, it was raining in Xi'an. Xue Fei set off from under the statue of Xuanzang at the South Square of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, beginning this journey.
“I started cycling from Xi'an on my own and met up with two other cyclists at Huxian. The three of us spent seven days cycling to Chengdu,” Xue Fei recalled. “After a short break in Chengdu, I set off again with several other cyclists. After a long ride, we arrived in Lhasa on August 7.” He said the journey was very tough, with bad weather and constant rain. “Especially after entering the Tibetan area, there were often severe rainstorms. What impressed me most was that one day, we experienced four hailstorms, which left us completely soaked and miserable. We also had to ride through three days of muddy roads—the wheels kept getting stuck—and at that point, I really wanted to abandon the bike and take a bus instead. Fortunately, we managed to push through.”
After arriving in Lhasa, the other cyclists went their separate ways. Only Xue Fei decided to continue on to Nepal. “On the one hand, they hadn’t applied for passports, and on the other, they had some concerns about crossing the border.” Subsequently, Xue Fei set off alone from Lhasa and, after 13 days, finally reached his destination—Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
“Cycling is real travel”
Xue Fei said that he stayed in Nepal for a total of five days, cycling through the streets and alleys of Kathmandu, and gained a lot from the experience.
Xue Fei opened his bag to show the things he had collected along the way. He had a bag full of bottles, each containing soil and water from different places. “This is soil from Lhasa, this is water from Chengdu… Every place I went to, I collected some soil or water and labeled it. It will be a great memory to look back on in the future.”
In addition, Xue Fei also made his own “passport” book. “I bound some kraft paper, added a cover, and at every place I visited, I got a postmark from the local post office to keep as a personal memento.”
“I think cycling is what real travel is all about. You can stop and go whenever you want, interact and communicate fully with locals. It’s not like taking a bus tour where you just take photos at scenic spots without truly understanding the culture of a place,” Xue Fei said. This trip to Nepal fully proved to him that choosing to cycle was the right decision.
The trip was kept secret from his parents
Xue Fei told the reporter that he had kept this trip a secret from his parents. “I had mentioned it to them before, but they completely disagreed. Later, I gave up trying to convince them and just set off on my own once summer vacation started.” Xue Fei said that he had informed his older brother and sister-in-law before leaving, and eventually, his parents found out. He sent them daily text messages to let them know he was safe, and they didn’t scold him after he returned.
Yesterday, the reporter contacted Mr. Xue, Xue Fei’s father. Speaking about his son’s trip to Nepal, Mr. Xue expressed both excitement and relief: “My son is a post-90s kid, spoiled at home, and had never done any hard work. When he said he wanted to cycle to Nepal, we didn’t believe him at all. But later, when he had already reached Lhasa, we found out, and our attitude shifted from opposition to support.” Mr. Xue said his son’s action deeply moved him. “The post-90s generation is brave and resilient. They’ve grown up and don’t need their parents to worry too much about them anymore.”