"To take the world as my great university, nature and human affairs as my textbooks, direct observation and experience as my method of study, and wind, snow, rain, frost, scorching sun, morning stars and night moons as my rewards. I will press forward fearlessly, showcasing the character of the Chinese nation to the world, proving that China is moving ahead, in pursuit of glory in the world." This is the “Travelogue Self-Introduction” written by Pan Dengming on the title page of his self-made Celebrity Autograph Book. In 1930, 22-year-old Pan Dengming took his first step on a global journey, becoming the first modern person to circumnavigate the world on foot and by bicycle.
Traversing the Heart of Asia to Showcase the Glory of the Chinese Nation
Born in 1908 into a missionary family in Huzhou, Zhejiang, Pan Dengming was raised by an American woman who had run schools in China for many years. His father was a “Hong Bang tailor,” specializing in making clothes for foreigners. Thus, from an early age, Pan had opportunities and experiences interacting with foreigners. After two years at a foreign-run commercial high school, Pan opened a small Western restaurant in Nanjing with a partner. He interacted daily with foreigners of various nationalities, gaining deeper insights into and a stronger longing for the outside world.
In late June 1930, Pan read in the Shanghai newspaper Shen Bao about a group of young people in Shanghai forming the “Chinese Youth Asia Walking Team,” vowing to trek across Asia on foot. The group’s manifesto proclaimed passionately: “The Chinese nation, carrying over 5,000 years of civilization and creativity, has unfortunately fallen into lethargy and decadence in modern times—a common mental malaise among its youth. We feel the spirit of the times cheering us on, and we shall unhesitatingly shoulder this great burden. With indomitable courage, we decide to set out from Shanghai and gradually realize our goal. With every step, we will display the historical glory of the Chinese nation, leaving an indelible impression on society until we reach our planned final destination.”
At 22, Pan Dengming, fired with enthusiasm, resolutely ended all operations at his Western restaurant, packed his bags, and with a letter of introduction from Huang Jingwan, head of the Social Department at the Commercial Press—known as “Mr. Good Friend”—hurried to catch up with the already-departed “Asia Walking Team.” In Hangzhou, after expressing his earnest intentions, he was accepted into the walking team composed of four men and three women, embarking on a journey “deep into the heart of Asia.”
Heading West: From Asia to the World
Despite fervent passion, the road ahead was perilous. The Asia Walking Team passed through Hangzhou, Guangdong, and Guangxi, reaching Haiphong, Vietnam, in less than half a year. However, by then, five members had dropped out due to illness or fear. When they reached Qinghua, another two left because of disagreements over the travel direction. Of the original eight, only Pan Dengming—the last to join—remained. To leave with everyone else, or to continue alone? Pan chose the latter, believing that “only by continuing westward could he uncover more unknowns.”
Drawing on past travel experience, he resolved to surpass the team’s initial aim of exploring just the heart of Asia and instead venture around the world. In 1931, on New Year’s Day, armed with a self-made Celebrity Autograph Book, he set off once again.
Pan traveled through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, crossed the Strait of Malacca by ship, continued through India, Iran, Iraq, Syria, crossed the Suez Canal onto African soil, and then sailed from Alexandria across the Mediterranean to Greece, beginning his European journey. He crossed the English Channel to the UK, took the cruise ship Europa to the United States, and spent a year traveling there. He then journeyed through Canada, Cuba, Panama, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and finally returned to his homeland in Yunnan.
Pan Dengming visited over 30 countries and regions. He bought a bicycle in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and aside from sea voyages and some cycling, he traveled mostly on foot. He met numerous notable figures, including U.S. President Roosevelt and Indian spiritual leader Gandhi, even drawing admiration from Hitler.
When Pan arrived in France, he was received by then-President Albert Lebrun. Lebrun said, “Mr. Pan, for your remarkable feat, I’d like to share a quote from France’s hero Napoleon: ‘China is a sick and sleeping giant, but when she wakes, the world will tremble.’”
On July 27, 1932, introduced by China’s ambassador to France Wellington Koo, Pan met with Zhang Xueliang, who was then convalescing in France. At the time, Zhang rarely appeared in public. But upon receiving Koo’s call, he immediately said, “I’d very much like to meet Mr. Pan.” Zhang told Pan, “Mr. Pan, your three years of arduous travel command my utmost respect,” and inscribed the words “Great Journey” in the Celebrity Autograph Book.
Solo travel is destined to be even more perilous. In the jungles of India, Pan encountered tigers; advancing into Arabia, he suffered from thirst and starvation, fainting in the desert; while crossing a mountain pass in Jerusalem, thieves stole his bicycle and all his money; on the way to Bulgaria’s capital, unaware that shaking one’s head means “yes” and nodding “no” in the local custom, he ended up going the wrong way, further and further astray...
The Journey to the Tibetan Plateau Was Not Fulfilled
Pan Dengming completed his global journey in June 1936. Though he had caused quite a stir abroad and could have returned to China as a “triumphant hero” via Hong Kong, he chose to go straight to Yunnan, staying there for over half a year.
Circumnavigating the globe was not Pan’s ultimate goal. Through his travels, with increasing knowledge and experience, he felt a growing responsibility to use what he had learned to contribute to his country. Along the way, experts from various countries often said, “There are many China experts in the world, but China itself knows nothing.” Indeed, during the Sino-Indian War, Chinese negotiators used British postal maps—China didn’t even have its own maps at the time. So upon returning home, he set his sights on the Tibetan Plateau, then the world’s largest geological blank spot. But at the time, warlords controlled various regions, and entering Tibet was no easy task.
Later, he went to Nanjing to apply for a permit to enter the Tibetan Plateau, but the Nationalist government told him war was imminent and advised against it, leaving him no choice but to return to Shanghai. The very next day, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out, and the plan to visit Tibet was shelved indefinitely.
The “Eccentric Old Man” in the Eyes of Family
Over seven years of exploration, Pan Dengming left behind three Celebrity Autograph Books, weighing a total of about 4 kilograms. Many expressed admiration and amazement upon hearing his stories, but his second son, Pan Hesheng, described his father as “an eccentric old man.”
Pan Dengming returned to China in 1936 but didn’t go home until a year later, persuaded by others. His reasoning was that once home, his family would surely urge him to marry, and marriage meant “responsibility,” making it impossible to pursue the “Tibetan Plateau journey”—which he considered “a task where one might lose their life at any moment.”
A few years after returning, Wang Mingdao, the brother of the president of the Thai Overseas Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, visited this once world-famous “remarkable figure.” But feeling his Tibetan plan hadn’t materialized, Pan thought there was no need to mention past glories, so he asked his brother to tell the visitor he had never returned after going abroad. It’s said the chamber president surmised Pan might have met with an accident and even held a memorial service for him in Thailand.
When Pan turned 60, his friend Zhang Jingyi made him a small bronze statue inscribed with “A respectable sixty-year-old big fool.” The elderly Pan was quite pleased—the phrase “big fool” reflected his dear friend’s deep understanding.
Pan Su said his grandfather’s travels were “using his own feet to delve into the heart of uncharted lands,” unlike many so-called global travelers today who ride bicycles along the safest roads just to say they’ve been somewhere. Pan went to the most dangerous, uninhabited, and primitive places—not for adventure or curiosity, but to explore resources in no-man’s-land, to see if humans could overcome natural obstacles and make use of those resources.
Although we strive to authentically recreate his legendary journey and the real Pan Dengming, the man himself passed away in 1976. We can only piece together the story of this once-great traveler and his once-overlooked expedition through the accounts of Pan Hesheng and Pan Su. We owe reverence and remembrance to our predecessors, but the greatest tribute to the departed is to carry on their legacy.
One netizen joked, “The customs documents back in Pan Dengming’s time must have been easier to get.” We learned that he handled his own passport and visas; Long Hongquan, who traveled to 33 countries and regions, also told us that getting a passport isn’t actually difficult. So, difficulties should never be an excuse not to act.