The movie *Mountain Patrol*, released last year, tells the story of a young Taiwanese man, Zhang Shuhao, who cycled to Tibet. Off-screen, visiting Tibet is also a dream for many.
There are various ways to get to Tibet—by plane, train, or driving yourself... But have you ever thought about cycling there or hitchhiking? And do you dare to try?
Yet, Zha Jiafei, an 80s-born young man from Haining, and Wu Bingqing, a post-90s girl, made it happen.
50 Days Westward
Cycling into Tibet
Zha Jiafei is from Yuanhua, born in 1989, and has been working for a year. In his sophomore year of college, he started cycling and occasionally rode around the Yangtze River Delta. He said every cyclist shares the same dream: cycling into Tibet.
“I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.” On March 28 of this year, Zha Jiafei set off from the Wengjin Line on his beloved Merida bicycle, wearing cycling gear, with the goal of challenging himself.
From Yuanhua–Huangwan–Haiyan–Pinghu–Jinshan–Shanghai, once the bicycle reached Shanghai, Zha Jiafei’s journey to Tibet officially began along National Highway G318. Along the way, he updated his cycling experiences on Weibo.
In the days that followed, this G318 highway, which connects the most provinces in China and leads all the way to Tibet’s Friendship Bridge, would also lead directly to Zha Jiafei’s dream.
“Cycling alone, ten days is a critical point.” After the initial excitement wore off and the long stretches of loneliness were endured, Zha Jiafei said he began to slowly enjoy the freedom of solitude after ten days, immersing himself fully in the scenery along the way.
Cycling alone, he encountered joy, faced challenges, and even pushed his limits.
Each day, Zha Jiafei started cycling at dawn. Before entering the Sichuan-Tibet route, he averaged about 150 kilometers per day. After dark, he stayed in small local inns along the way.
When Zha Jiafei was cycling through the mountainous area bordering Hubei and Chongqing, he spent one night with a local family.
“It felt great. Drinking and chatting with them at night was the best comfort after a hard day of cycling.” When he reached Chengdu, Zha Jiafei met a female painter traveling to Tibetan areas to learn about local customs. The two talked nonstop for two or three days. Before parting, the painter secretly gave Zha Jiafei 200 yuan, reminding him to buy fruit for himself every day and to take care of his nutrition.
The real challenges came from the Sichuan-Tibet route, with two days even pushing Zha Jiafei to his limits.
On the way from Yajiang to Litang, Zha Jiafei got food poisoning, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, his bicycle broke down on the road.
“At that time, I was completely exhausted. I pushed my bike from the afternoon until 11 p.m. when I finally arrived in Litang.” Around 6 p.m. that day, Zha Jiafei met another “traveler” hiking to Litang. The two traveled together and arrived in Litang by midnight.
Headwinds and dust—that day is something Zha Jiafei will never forget.
After arriving in Litang, he rested for four days and repaired his bike. Soon, the interrupted journey resumed.
On May 21, after cycling nearly 4,600 kilometers and enduring 50 days, Zha Jiafei arrived at his dream destination, Lhasa, Tibet.
For the return trip, Zha Jiafei chose to fly. He said his next goal is to cycle around Taiwan Island, though realizing that dream will still take time.
Hitchhiking to Tibet
Gaining Warmth Along the Way
Everyone may have had the experience of hitchhiking. But hitchhiking all the way to Tibet is a distant dream for many. However, 18-year-old Wu Bingqing made it happen—not only dared to dream, but also put it into action.
“At that point, I was already near the border between Yunnan and Tibet. Since I was already there, why not go?” Wu Bingqing is a senior high school student at Haining High School. Having applied to a university in the U.S. early on, unlike her classmates, she didn’t have to face the stressful college entrance exam. In February of this year, she planned a trip to Yunnan for herself.
The journey to Yunnan wasn’t much different from others. It’s just that Wu Bingqing’s trip to Yunnan was more about experiencing the local culture. She stayed in Yunnan for a full three months, picking up her backpack and going wherever she wanted to visit. For those months, she was living a spontaneous, “go-anytime” kind of travel life.
For one of those months, she also worked as a volunteer at a local youth hostel in Yunnan. “Just doing front desk reception work—the hostel provided food and lodging.” Around May 12, she and a friend hitchhiked to Tibet.
“I met friends in Deqen. Many travelers there choose to hitchhike to Tibet.” Before heading to Tibet, Wu Bingqing learned basic Tibetan phrases like “thank you” and “hello” from a Tibetan local in Shangri-La. Soon, mimicking the gestures of other travelers hitchhiking, Wu Bingqing and her friend got into their first ride.
It was an off-road vehicle. After learning about Wu Bingqing and her companions' intentions, the driver enthusiastically gave them a ride. "We were pretty lucky to meet such kind drivers," Wu Bingqing said.
On their hitchhiking journey from Yunnan to Tibet, the scenery flashed by. Wu Bingqing and her friends also met someone they called "the best driver."
"He provided us with food and drinks along the way and even treated everyone to a meal." Not only that, when the vehicle arrived in Ranwu, Tibet, the driver took out a small stove and other outdoor gear to make milk tea for everyone. That night, they stayed overnight in Ranwu. There is a beautiful lake there called Ranwu Lake, and if you look up at midnight, you can see star trails in the sky. The driver would find the perfect moment to wake everyone up to admire the unique beauty of the starry sky.
"I felt the scenery truly began from Ranwu," Wu Bingqing said. The journey into Lhasa brought with it a sense of human warmth along the way. "In daily life, how could you spend a whole day with a stranger and then go out to eat and drink together? It's a kind of trust between people," Wu Bingqing explained. This trip made her deeply understand the saying that "when traveling, you rely on friends." Many friends she met during the journey were just fleeting presences in her life—once the trip ended and they said goodbye, they might never meet again in this lifetime. Therefore, these moments became rare and valuable experiences.
After arriving in Lhasa, Wu Bingqing stayed for two weeks. Outside the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, she met Zha Jiafei, who, like her, was from Yuanhua. Her time in Lhasa became even more special because of this fellow townsman.