“Sanya, here I come.” Yesterday afternoon, Liu Jingdong and her sister Liu Chunli, who live in Block 4 of Wangjing Xiyuan, Chaoyang District, cycled on a tour around Sanya, Hainan. Liu Chunli, who once had breast cancer, set out from Tiananmen Square at 8 a.m. on October 16 to cycle to Sanya in a bid to fight the disease. Their journey spanned eight provinces and cities, covering a distance of 4,300 kilometers.
Sisters cycle far to fight illness
“The bicycles and cycling gear are all ready. We’ll document the journey in a diary…” On the afternoon of October 15, Liu Jingdong, a resident of Block 4 of Wangjing Xiyuan, said goodbye to her neighbors on the community forum.
Born in 1953, Liu Jingdong has a younger sister, Liu Chunli, who is five years her junior. The reason Liu Jingdong decided to embark on this long cycling trip was because her sister, Liu Chunli, was once a cancer patient. In 2005, Liu Chunli was diagnosed with breast cancer during a health checkup and nearly broke down. After undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and a mastectomy, she entered a rehabilitation period through exercise and fell in love with cycling. When Liu Chunli shared her idea of cycling to Sanya, Liu Jingdong, 58, nailed a sign that read “Low-Carbon Beijing to Sanya Cycling for Cancer Fight” onto the front baskets of their bikes to support her sister’s battle against cancer and promote environmental sustainability. The sisters then began their cycling journey from Beijing to Sanya.
The cycling story is unforgettable
“On the first day, we cycled from Tiananmen to Zhuozhou — 81 kilometers. The next day, 114 kilometers. The first few days were tough; our backs and butts hurt so much that we couldn’t even sit properly on the saddle,” Liu Jingdong said with a hearty laugh. It’s understood that the sisters traveled along National Highway 107, heading south through provinces including Hebei, Henan, and Hubei, and visited over 40 scenic spots such as the Red Flag Canal and Shennongjia during the journey.
The sisters enjoyed the scenery along the cycling route, gaining health and happiness. But what left a deep impression on them were the warm hospitality from fellow cyclists and the memorable stories along the way. While taking photos at a museum in Jingzhou, Hubei, a local cyclist kindly helped the sisters arrange accommodation and led more than 10 fellow riders to escort them for over 50 kilometers. Upon entering Guangdong, near the 2,001-kilometer marker from Beijing, their parked bicycles fell over, and an accompanying Chihuahua dog in the basket unfortunately died. After crying, the sisters buried the dog on a hillside. On mountain roads near Shennongjia, the two gritted their teeth and climbed steep slopes, cheering themselves on by singing “Determined to overcome all difficulties!”
Fellow cyclists invite them to London
Liu Jingdong went from loving swimming and playing ball sports to falling in love with cycling. From initially feeling exhausted and in pain while pedaling to eventually becoming adept at it. Liu Chunli, with her sun-kissed and rosy cheeks and agile figure, makes it hard to believe she was once a cancer patient.
Arriving in Sanya, facing the welcoming crowd, the two said that cycling made them understand the meaning of life. At every stop, they sent text messages to their family to report their safety and share the insights and gains of the day.
The end is also a new beginning. The sisters revealed that next year is the London Olympics, and some cyclists have already invited them to join a ride to London.
