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| The cover of the Chinese version of The Longest Way, his book about his walking trip from Beijing to Urumqi. (China Daily) |
Xiao Yunke, an editor at China South Booky Culture Media, the publisher that brought his book into the Chinese market, says it sold at least 50,000 copies in the first month.
"Rehage's book is more than a travel journal. It offers a fresh eye on life in China and we are often touched by his encounters," says Cai Jinghui, a Chinese travel writer.
"The lifestyle of the ordinary people has always been neglected, whether in Germany or in China," Rehage says. "But in ordinary life, you can find interesting things and touching moments. I want to record these real and precious moments.
"Sometimes I see a mountain, and wonder what's on the other side. I walked 5 to 10 km there and there is another horizon. I keep seeking what's behind. It doesn't have to be beautiful, but you could always see something new."
Rehage's first walking trip was from Paris to his hometown Hannover in north Germany, when he was 22. When it was time to go home to college, he decided to walk home.
"I walked for three-and-a-half weeks. I was tired, but I felt comfortable, free and cool," he says.
Rehage chose to study Sinology at the University of Munich and went to Beijing in 2005 as an exchange student for one year. He then stayed for another year learning photography, and came up with the idea of walking home.
He walked through bustling cities and isolated villages, across plains and the Gobi desert. He recorded folk customs of different regions, noted details of everyday life, and pondered conversations about village life, environmental pollution, construction and personal relationships.
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