Recently, the streets of Zhuzhou have seen a group of young people selling bottled water and tissues at slightly higher prices. If you encounter them and can spare a few yuan, please buy from them. What you’re purchasing is their “dream”: a small local team of college students called the “Jane Eyre Fund,” whose dream is to “trek to Yunnan-Tibet” this summer using the funds raised from selling their “dreams.”
These “budget travelers” who once explored Hainan started with just 20 members, but have now grown their team to 120, with 70 coming from outside Zhuzhou. More interestingly, they’ve established their own organization—the “Jane Eyre Fund.”
“My first ‘budget travel’ experience was in 2011, when I joined an event in Changsha to go to Beijing,” recalls He Liang. “That trip left a deep impression on me. It’s an activity that truly enhances your ability to survive in society while balancing fun and learning.”
After returning from Hainan, He Dong, He Liang, Hu Shenyu, and Yang Chenliang decided to create a public welfare platform for their dreams. This is when the “Jane Eyre Fund” was founded. “We’re not aiming for grand philanthropy—let’s start with small things around us. For example, picking up litter that shouldn’t be on the ground. We’ll collect trash along our journey to Yunnan-Tibet,” they said.
Through QQ and word-of-mouth among classmates and friends, the first event organized by the “Jane Eyre Fund” saw an overwhelming response. By the registration deadline on May 25, over 100 locals had signed up, with an additional 70 selected from other regions. The applicants included college students from Inner Mongolia and Liaoning, as well as those from prestigious universities in Wuhan and Shanghai.
“Budget travel” means not asking parents for money
Next came the “hell training.” Running 70,000 meters in 10 days—a seemingly impossible task. Half of the 100 local registrants persevered. “Trekking from Kunming to Shangri-La across the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, such a long distance with unpredictable challenges, requires high-intensity training,” said He Liang.
Then came the so-called “businessShizhan”—selling simple items on the street to support their “budget travel” dreams.The primary goal was to develop communication skills, self-marketing abilities, and courage among the students.
“Although we faced rejections and doubts, I barely remember those moments. What we should remember more are the people who supported our dreams,” wrote Wang Mengmeng, a “Jane Eyre Fund” member who passed the second “business battle” assessment, in her journal.
“Our preset basic fund was 950 yuan, which roughly covers a tent and related gear (about 450 yuan), plus train tickets from Zhuzhou to Kunming, and from Lhasa to Changsha, then back to Zhuzhou.” The 950 yuan was the target all “business battle” participants had to reach before departure. The “Jane Eyre Fund” required all participants to raise the funds through “legal means,” but “asking parents for money” was considered “illegal.” “The essence of ‘budget travel’ also means not relying on parents for travel funds. If the money falls short, we’ll work along the way to make up the difference,” said Yang Chenliang.
Trekking to Tibet is about challenging oneself
Trekking is the main mode of travel for this “budget trip,” but covering the 45-day journey from Kunming to Lhasa on foot is unrealistic. “Hitchhiking” thus becomes the “best” mode of transportation.
“Hitchhiking not only tests your communication skills but also depends on the willingness of drivers along the way,” said Yang Chenliang. Last year, during his solo “training” in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang area, he was rejected by drivers multiple times, which “hurt deeply.” But in Hainan this year, he experienced warmth again.
Now, these energetic young people are gearing up to chase their dreams once more. He Liang said they will split into two groups in Shangri-La—one larger team heading to Chengdu and taking a direct train to Lhasa, while the other group will trek along the Yunnan-Tibet Highway to reach Lhasa on foot.
“It’s all about challenging ourselves!” he said.