Zhang Jinsong shows his "passport"
Ten years ago, Zhang Jinsong from Suzhou, Anhui, set off on a nationwide cycling journey. Over the past decade, he survived by begging along the way, enduring countless hardships, yet remained determined. On March 9, returning to Xinyang after ten years, he told reporters: "I'm here to replenish the lost materials."
After traveling for ten years, Zhang Jinsong wrote the manuscript of his long-form documentary novel "Begging Across the World" based on his experiences. However, an accident led to the theft of his companion — the bicycle — along with the novel manuscript and some precious materials.
"Last May, I was using an internet cafe in Hefei and locked my bicycle outside. Unexpectedly, it was stolen," Zhang said with great regret. "That bicycle took me all across the country. Just the repairs cost over 20,000 yuan, all fixed for free by kind-hearted people. More importantly, my travel diaries, photos, and some souvenirs were all lost — a huge blow." He told reporters.
This time passing through Xinyang, he is preparing to revisit Wenchuan to gather some important materials. He then showed the reporter a thick book stamped with official seals from governments across the country, and also displayed the first seal stamped by the Xinyang Municipal People's Government. It reminded the reporter of the "passport" used by Tang Sanzang in his quest for Buddhist scriptures.
During the interview, Zhang Jinsong sighed: "The motherland is growing stronger day by day, developing rapidly. The China of ten years ago and today are worlds apart. I studied traditional Chinese medicine, later self-taught secretarial skills and Japanese, but all my academic qualifications can't compare to the experiences of these ten years."
Zhang Jinsong told reporters: "At first, I was very upset about losing the materials, but now I've come to terms with it. Many of the events were repetitive, and this loss has a certain beauty of imperfection. On this second revisit, I plan to go from Wenchuan to Fujian and Xiamen’s SEF to see if I can coordinate a trip to Taiwan, because Taiwan is part of China. Without going to Taiwan, I can’t truly say I’ve traveled all over China. Taiwan has always been a place I’m eager to visit."