Post-90s university students, who love traveling and adventure, pack their bags and set off on a whim. Whether cycling in groups or venturing out alone, though their methods differ, they’ve gained a lot this summer by challenging themselves. What thrilling experiences await them on their journeys? Let’s take a look—
"23 days, 2,063 kilometers—I’ve reached Lhasa!" The six university students from Fuzhou, just back from cycling to Lhasa, still can’t hide their excitement when recalling the moment they stood before the Potala Palace.
All post-90s students from various universities in Fuzhou, they formed the "Yunnan-Tibet Cycling Trail" team during the summer break.
Cycling all the way from Dali in Yunnan to Lhasa in Tibet, they encountered landslides, were pelted by hail, chased by Tibetan mastiffs, but when almost every kind of landform—mountains, valleys, hills, plateaus—miraculously converged along this route, they exclaimed: it was simply "breathtakingly beautiful!"
They updated their journey in real time on forums and Weibo daily, with three posts totaling over 32,000 views. Their trip was described by netizens as: "Hell for the body, heaven for the eyes."
Team leader He Xuan: A sophomore at Minjiang Business School, he was the first to initiate this cycling trip.
Lin Deli: A student at Minjiang Business School, who had memorized every mountain, river, and lake in Tibet since high school, dreaming of one day cycling there.
Ye Jinli: A student at Minjiang Business School, who scouted a second-hand bike from the flea market, bought all the gear, and set off on a whim.
The other three teammates are from Fujian Normal University and Fujian University of Technology.
Cycling log
Day 1: Arrived in Dali and encountered heavy rain
After taking a train from Fuzhou to Dali, Yunnan, their first cycling leg was from Dali to Heqing, covering 137 kilometers. They faced heavy rain and about 40 kilometers of uphill. Setting off at 8 a.m., the whole team didn’t arrive at the hotel until 10:30 p.m. Ye Jinli became the "king of pushing bikes," having to get off and push his bike after riding only a short while.
Climbing nine high mountains, encountering various hardships
In the second week after entering Tibet, the "king of pushing bikes" started to shine, riding at the front for several consecutive days. Along the way, they faced headwinds, hail, thick fog, and the high-altitude UV rays that could peel skin after just one exposure. They encountered various dangers—landslides, washboard roads, fords—where one misstep could send the bike and rider tumbling. Along the route, the team climbed nine mountains over 4,000 meters above sea level, including Baima Snow Mountain, Hongla Snow Mountain, Juébà Mountain, and Dōngdá Mountain... The last one, Mira Mountain, was the highest at 5,013 meters.
Cycling 23 days, average cost per person: 5,000 yuan
How much did 23 days cost? The team leader did the math: 2,000 yuan for bikes, 800 yuan for gear including helmets, tools, and cycling clothes, and around 2,000 yuan for food and lodging over 23 days—often just two stools and a wooden board for a bed, cheapest stay at 10 yuan, most expensive at 40 yuan. In total, the average cost per person was 5,000 yuan.
Cycling anecdotes
Ate 48 bowls of noodles in one sitting
When passing through Yanjing, they ate Jiājiā Miàn (additive noodles), costing 20 yuan per person and leaving them so full they couldn’t move. Lin Deli recorded the experience—
"Jiājiā Miàn is very unique—each bowl is just a tiny portion, so small you can finish it in a couple of bites. But after finishing one bowl, the server immediately brings you another. There’s also a small bowl of pebbles on the table; for each bowl you eat, you place a pebble in front of your bowl as a tally.
After the first bowl, you naturally want to eat more. The server brings the second bowl, and just as you finish, the third comes... Soon my pile of pebbles grew, but our eating speed couldn’t keep up with the server’s serving pace.
When you can’t eat anymore, you place an X with chopsticks on the bowl to signal you’re full. Dongyue ate the record-high 48 bowls—just look at how our table was covered in pebbles!"