With a pair of roller skates, a tricycle, and a bicycle, on July 4, 76-year-old Hakka elder Liu Yiyin from Ganzhou set foot on the land of Langfang, Hebei. Skating along, he, along with his disciple and a cycling friend, completed a 37-day, over 2,000 km journey in preparation to showcase their skills in Beijing. Roller skating enthusiasts and masters in Langfang warmly welcomed and saw them off, leaving the trio with unforgettable and wonderful memories of their skating journey.
Enthusiastic Langfang citizens accompany the elderly skater
On July 4, “Uncle Zi Lian,” the owner of Langfang’s “Outdoorsy People” store and a member of the Falcon Brigade cycling group, learned from fellow cyclists in Shengfang that several “extraordinary individuals” would be passing through Langfang. Having read an 11-page post on Baidu Tieba titled “Skating to Beijing — A septuagenarian departs from the ancient city wall of Ganzhou on May 26, aiming to skate to Badaling,” which detailed the ups and downs of the elder’s journey, this warm-hearted post-80s girl was deeply moved by the perseverance of 76-year-old Liu Yiyin. As the administrator of multiple outdoor QQ groups and an active figure in Langfang’s cycling community, Zi Lian gathered over 20 members from the “Outdoorsy People” club, the Falcon Brigade, and the MiGao Roller Skating Club to welcome the group outside the city.
At dusk, the trio of skaters appeared on the South Gate Outer Bridge. Liu Yiyin, the elderly man with long white hair tied up in a small braid, was fully equipped with a helmet and knee pads, gliding in from afar with a flag in hand. His disciple Zhu Chunsheng pedaled the tricycle closely behind, while another volunteer cyclist, Zou Hai, acted as the accompanying journalist. The master and disciple duo, much like Xuanzang on his pilgrimage, endured countless hardships to reach Langfang. As the final stop before Beijing, Langfang’s cycling enthusiasts offered their greatest enthusiasm to support Elder Liu in completing this challenging feat.
Hospitality: The warmth of Langfang’s people is deeply moving
July in Langfang is blazingly hot. Liu Yiyin, a passionate member of the Falcon Brigade, prepared a sumptuous meal and booked a clean, comfortable hotel. Zi Lian got Elder Liu a tent and a waterproof mat worth over 500 yuan. “With this tent, they won’t have to sleep on the streets wherever they go next,” said Zi Lian. Her heartfelt kindness deeply touched the elderly man. Zou Hai described “Shun Ying Pipi,” the creator of Langfang’s MiGao Roller Skating Club and a pioneer in the local skating scene, who skated alongside the elder and gifted him a club T-shirt. The elder also finally found a place to professionally repair his worn-out skates. The joy on the elder’s face, as if after a long drought a sweet rain had fallen, infected everyone around.
That evening around 9 p.m., arranged by the Falcon Brigade, Elder Liu appeared at Times Square, drawing a crowd. Hundreds of enthusiastic citizens vied to sign a large banner with tens of thousands of signatures to support their remarkable journey. According to Zou Hai, they were also warmly treated
Conversation: Traveling a Thousand Miles in Gratitude for Saving a Life
On Zhu Chunsheng’s tricycle — he’s 42 — aside from daily necessities for the three of them, everything else was performance gear for Liu’s stilt walking. He told reporters that he has known Old Man Liu for three or four years, and this trip is to repay a life debt.
It turns out that in 2009, Zhu Chunsheng was swimming in the Gong River when he got exhausted and began to drown. Fortunately, Liu Yiyin came to his rescue. After some interaction, Zhu Chunsheng discovered that Liu Yiyin had many folk art skills, so he became his apprentice. Last month, when he heard that Old Man Liu planned to rollerblade to Beijing and perform stunts along the way, he volunteered to join. He wanted to accompany and take care of him as a way of showing gratitude to his lifesaver. Zou Hai said that he also joined voluntarily after learning by chance that Liu Yiyin intended to rollerblade to Beijing. He was moved by the elderly man’s passion for life and determination to challenge himself. Zou Hai will be responsible for photography on the journey, and all images and videos will be posted in real time to Baidu Tieba. The post has already drawn attention from numerous netizens.
At the farewell the next morning, reporters learned that the elderly man planned to perform folk stunts on stilts atop the Great Wall. Before departure, an emotional Liu Yiyin said, “I want to thank everyone who has supported me with their love. This ten-thousand-mile rollerblading journey is a trip full of compassion. I will surely promote fitness and well-being along the way, showcase Ganzhou, and spread Hakka culture. After the trip, we’ll take a train back to Ganzhou.”
Related Content: The Soaring “Black Mountain Eagle”
At 9:00 AM on May 26, inside a low-income housing unit on Dukou Road in Ganzhou City, 74-year-old Liu Yiyin knelt on one knee before his 96-year-old mother. Holding her hand tightly, he said loudly, “Mom, your son is setting off to chase his dream. I’ll be away for quite a while. I’ll be rollerblading from Bajingtai Ancient City Wall in Ganzhou all the way to the Badaling section of the Great Wall, tens of thousands of miles away. I won’t be back for nearly two months… Mom, you must take good care of yourself while I’m gone…”
After bidding farewell to his mother, Liu Yiyin went to Bajingtai Ancient City Wall. After touching it for a long time, he started rollerblading, freely gliding beneath the wall and the Bronze Cauldron commemorating the ancient southward migration of Hakka ancestors. He would leap and tumble from time to time, like a “Black Mountain Eagle” soaring through the sky…
“It’s a Dream, Not an Impulse” “Some people say that at my age, it’s just a whim. That skating from Ganzhou to Beijing is something you could never do. Don’t act impulsively — better to give up the idea now!” said Liu Yiyin, who has dark skin and wears a small braid. He told reporters that he truly wasn’t acting on impulse — this was a dream he’d harbored for years. Due to financial constraints and the need to care for his elderly mother, he hadn’t been able to go for a long time. “Now that I’m getting older, I want to challenge myself and fulfill my dream while I still have the health and stamina these past couple of years!” Liu Yiyin took out a hand-drawn map of National Highway 105 and said, “Look, I’ve made detailed plans. We’ll depart from Ganzhou, pass through Suichuan, Taihe, Ji’an, Zhangshu, and Fengcheng to Nanchang, then go through Anhui, Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Tianjin, and arrive in Beijing. This route was mapped out by a friend who used to be a long-distance truck driver.”
Neighbors said that Liu Yiyin is a well-known folk artist, somewhat famous for stilt walking and rollerblading. He’s been doing it since the 1950s, has taught thousands without ever charging. Liu Yiyin always says life lies in movement, and he hopes more citizens will join in exercising. Because of his strong leg power and fast skating speed, he’s often seen zipping through Ganzhou’s streets and alleys on rollerblades, or teaching people stilt walking for free in parks, communities, and schools. Everyone calls him “Black Mountain Eagle” or “The Stilt Uncle.”
Also joining Liu Yiyin on this journey are two others: Zhu Chunsheng, who rides the tricycle, and Zou Hai, who cycles. “Are you really only three people going?” the reporter asked, a bit concerned. While skating, Liu Yiyin laughed and introduced them: “This middle-aged man on the tricycle is Zhu Chunsheng, my apprentice. He does odd jobs. This young man on the bicycle is Zou Hai, who co-owns a media studio with friends. Our trio is a combination of two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and rollerblades — also a mix of old, middle-aged, and young.”
Zhu Chunsheng said he is 42 years old and met Liu Yiyin in the afternoon of a lunar July day in 2009 — Liu Yiyin saved his life. At the time, Zhu Chunsheng was swimming in the Gong River under Donghe Bridge when he got exhausted and began drowning. Luckily, Liu Yiyin happened to pass by and rescued him. After getting to know each other, Zhu Chunsheng found out Liu Yiyin knew many folk stunts, so he became his apprentice. Last month, upon hearing that his master planned to rollerblade to Beijing and perform stilt walking en route, he asked to join to accompany and take care of him. “Everything on my tricycle except our basic necessities is my master’s performance equipment.”
“I’m an 80s kid,” said Zou Hai. “I only found out a few days ago that Liu Yiyin was planning to rollerblade to Beijing. At the time, Liu Yiyin was urgently looking for a photography companion to document the whole trip, but no one he asked was available. ‘I was moved by Old Man Liu’s sincerity and passion, so I volunteered to join. He has a lot of great qualities that us young people can learn from. A 70-year-old man is still daring to chase his dreams and push his own limits — why can’t I?’”
Not long after Liu Yiyin and the other two left Bajing Road, they received a call from a supermarket manager saying that food and other items had been prepared to see them off, and they could take as much as the tricycle could carry. In addition, the supermarket had set up a stage for Liu Yiyin to put on a farewell performance before departing.
On the supermarket stage, Liu Yiyin did handstands and flips on a dragon-patterned drum, singing to the accompaniment of folk musician Liu Daohui’s suona. He used his skills to thank the citizens who supported him. “After news of my plan to rollerblade to Beijing got out, I received support from many strangers. The other day, when I went to buy sunglasses and thought about giving up because they were too expensive, a female sales clerk recognized me and actually bought them for me with her own money — I was so grateful. There are so many unnamed friends, including children, who donated 10 or 100 yuan. There was also a friend from Nanchang who has invited me to perform at his company over the years. When he heard about my plan, even though his business was in serious trouble, he sent me 5,000 yuan and insisted I accept it.”
Liu Yiyin spoke emotionally, gesturing with his hands in the air. There were simply too many caring supporters, and he couldn’t name them all at once. He said this ten-thousand-mile rollerblading journey was a trip full of compassion, and he would surely promote fitness, showcase Ganzhou, and spread Hakka culture along the way.