Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China News Network, Nov. 30 (Wu Jie) — “After returning, I plan to spend two months studying and reading more books to enrich myself,” an upbeat and handsome 80s-born young man named Erxiang (a pseudonym) told reporters. Starting from Shijiazhuang this April and taking seven months, Erxiang completed cycling across China alone at a cost of just 6,525 yuan, returning to Shijiazhuang on November 19. On the 30th, reporters met with Erxiang.
“After I return, I want to find a job, earn more money, and give my parents a stable life,” Erxiang said. He originally had a stable and well-paying job, but he couldn’t settle into an office cubicle. With his parents’ approval, he embarked on a spontaneous journey.
“I also care deeply about my parents. When I video-called my mother for the first time in Lhasa, seeing them in tears left me with indescribable feelings,” a teary-eyed Erxiang told reporters. Now 26, his parents hope he can find a girlfriend and settle down after returning.
Erxiang traveled by trading stories for couch stays, and although he faced many hardships, the friends he met along the way brought him great comfort.
“The couchsurfing culture in China is a bit different from that abroad. In foreign countries, hosts usually offer travelers the floor or the sofa, but Chinese people are incredibly warm—sometimes they even let you stay in the master bedroom. Throughout my trip, 20% of my stays were on couches, and 80% were spent camping,” Erxiang said. Couchsurfing was initiated by an American young man named Fante, inspired by an overseas trip. It quickly gained popularity among trendsetters for its novelty and cost-saving appeal.
Erxiang said that he mostly chose to camp during the trip, mainly because he was tired of life in the cubicle and wanted to experience the thrill of surviving in the wild, which allowed him to perceive a completely different way of life.
“What impressed me most was encountering an earthquake in Yunnan,” Erxiang said. In early September, while cycling along the Yunnan-Tibet Highway in Shangri-La County, Yunnan, right inside Yunnan territory, he experienced an earthquake.
“That day I was staying at a Tibetan villager’s home on the second floor. Suddenly, I felt the house shaking and instinctively ran outside,” Erxiang said. The earthquake did not interrupt his plans, but road conditions worsened along the way. “Some sections were blocked by landslides and falling rocks, and I had to carry my bike and go around from the lower areas. At particularly dangerous spots, I had to temporarily stop and wait for aftershocks to pass before continuing.”
“The Altun Mountain uninhabited area left the deepest impression on me. Although there were only landscapes, gobi, grasslands, and deserts along the way, I still prefer places without people,” Erxiang said. In uninhabited areas, the scenery becomes pure. Pitching a tent every day and quietly watching the stars in the sky made him feel purely happy.
When talking about his future life, Erxiang said, “I love reading, especially psychology. Along the way, I felt I lacked a lot of knowledge.” Next, he plans to take time to study and recharge, and intends to work in Shenzhen after the New Year.