Tao Tao is a recent graduate of Biyang No. 2 High School and lives in Biyang County. After taking the college entrance exams on June 7 and 8, he persuaded his family and, on the morning of June 12, set off alone on his “Yu Q” off-road mountain bike from Biyang County toward his dream destination — Lhasa, Tibet.
At the start of his journey, he live-streamed the news of his trip on Baidu’s “Biyang Bar” under the online alias “BMW Long-Haired Guy.” He then followed the Tangbai River upstream along the Han River to Hanzhong, traversed the ancient Baoshé Shǔdào via Guangyuan and Jiangyou, headed south to Chengdu, and followed the Sichuan-Tibet Highway westward over the Hengduan Mountains into Tibet. Over 40 days, through five provinces and covering 3,680 kilometers, he earned the nickname “BMW Guy” among his classmates, fellow townsmen, and netizens back home.