29,576 kilometers in 268 days, Sichuan young man travels around China by bike

Crossing 22 provinces, five autonomous regions and four municipalities directly under the Central Government, a Chinese young man has recently spent 268 days travelling around the country by bike, finishing his journey with a total of 29,576 kilometers.

(Photo/People's Daily APP)

At 8 a.m. on March 13, 2020, Shen Hong, a 30-year-old man from Qingshen County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, set out from his hometown on his beloved bike, embarking on a "journey" around China to fulfill his childhood dream.

Shen finally returned to his place of departure at about 4 p.m. on Dec. 6. As the journey came to an end, he couldn't help but sigh: "it's good to be back at last!"

"I have cherished a dream of traveling around the world since I was a child. Living the same life every day is not what I like. As soon as the epidemic was over, I got on my bike and embarked on the journey, " Shen revealed.

(Photo/People's Daily APP)

At first, Shen’s family did not support his cycling plan. From their point of view, the trip is nothing but dangerous, impractical and a waste of time, but through many efforts he finally gained his families' trust and support.

Shen has travelled to almost all of the provinces in China during the 268 days, including Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Yunnan and Hainan.

"Once, in a depopulated zone of desert in Xinjiang, I got heatstroke. In four hours, only three cars passed by. Finally, a kind-hearted driver rescued me. I was very grateful to him," Shen said, recalling the hardship of the journey.

(Photo/People's Daily APP)

He added that "the biggest difficulty is loneliness. In order to get rid of loneliness, I share my experiences on Wechat (a social media app) every day, say everything is ok through my moments, and make more friends. Whenever I think of the many difficulties I have overcome, I have no reason to give up; this belief makes me stick to it. "

After the trip of 29,576 kilometers, Shen believes that his mind is no longer as restless as it used to be; his vision is broader and he becomes more open-minded.

"Nowadays as our country becomes more prosperous, people all live and work in peace and contentment. After seeing all of the wonderful rivers and mountains of the motherland, I still feel that home is the warmest harbor, " Shen pointed out. 

(Photo/People's Daily APP)

(Photo/People's Daily APP)

(Photo/People's Daily APP)