Pedaling cross-country to chase dreams

Cyclist Zhang Zhaoliang rides through the Kampong Kdei Bridge in February, which is one of the longest ancient bridges in Cambodia built during the Angkorian period from the 9th to the 15th centuries. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Cyclists hit the road to explore other cultures, meet new people and enrich their souls, report Wang Qian and Zhu Xingxin in Taiyuan.

For Zhang Zhaoliang, who lives and breathes cycling, there is no better way to explore a country than by pedaling. Within 106 days, the 29-year-old man from Pingyao county, Jinzhong, North China's Shanxi province, has cycled more than 8,000 kilometers across seven countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

"For me, cycling is a way to discover the world, understand myself and find my purpose in life," Zhang says, adding that during his recent adventure, he has tried to know more about the history of Chinese migration and localization in Southeast Asia.

Preparing a kit that included a tent, a sleeping bag, a rain jacket and some clothes, Zhang set out from the China-Vietnam border port of Dongxing in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Jan 1 on his solo pedaling trip.

Cycling is becoming an increasingly popular way to travel in cities with a growing number of people swapping four wheels for two. However, a small group of people like Zhang do not stop at the city limits but decide to travel across countries by bike. On social media, many have shared their stories, indicating a thriving cycling culture taking hold.

For 38-year-old cycling vlogger Zhu Zhiwen from Ruijin, East China's Jiangxi province, his ultimate dream is to cycle across all seven continents. His latest adventure has been the super successful Olympic ride from Beijing to Paris, which took about 16 months, traversing 18 countries with a total distance surpassing 15,550 kilometers.

"Cycling is a part of life and after realizing my ultimate dream, my journey will continue, with more experiences to be gained, not only on two wheels," says Zhu, who has been hitting the road on his bike for the past 12 years.

Enjoying the freedom of cross-country tours on bikes, avid cyclists such as Zhu and Zhang discover an astounding diversity in landscape, people, culture, paths and experiences.

Back in the saddle

Like many people who dream to explore the world on a bike, which is the most environment-friendly and economical way to travel, Zhang is one of the few adventurers who has realized that dream.

When he was a junior at the Jilin Agricultural University in Northeast China's Jilin province in the late 2010s, Zhang embarked on his first long-distance bike trip across Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces.

After graduating in 2019, Zhang cycled 60,000 km on dirt and icy roads and pasture lands with sheer strength and determination across the country in three years, visiting about 80 percent of the country's prefecture-level cities.

"For me, riding is a personal challenge, which provides rewarding experiences, such as meeting people and getting to know different cultures," Zhang says.

Always wanting to hit the road and break out of routine life, he quit his job in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, and started his bike journey on Jan 1.

Before that, he read lots of books and watched documentaries on the history and culture of Southeast Asian countries to prepare for his trip.

"I was intrigued by the history of Chinese migration to nanyang (south seas) between the 1850s and 1940s," Zhang says, adding that numerous people from southern China migrated to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. These countries are all very different, and yet, because they are in close geographical proximity, they have strong historical connections, he says.

With his navigation and translation apps installed in his smartphone, Zhang arrived at the northern Vietnamese city of Mong Cai through the Beilun River bridge.

With the familiar rural scene rolling past in Guangxi, Zhang felt relieved on the first day when people smiled and waved at him as he passed them on the bike. He chose to spend the first night in his tent in a field.

Looking into the long history of cultural influence and immigration between Vietnam and China, Zhang cycled from north to south to explore the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi, Ha Long Bay off the coast of northern Vietnam, the Complex of Hue Monuments lying along the Perfume River in Hue city, and Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, in southern Vietnam.

Though enjoying the beautiful scenery, Zhang says the weather should be borne in mind while cycling in Southeast Asia, as sweltering days are as common as sudden downpours.

One of the highlights of his Vietnam journey was visiting a temple in Nghi Loc, Nghe An province, to commemorate poet Wang Bo from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), who died, possibly from drowning, while visiting the region.

Wang is the poet traditionally grouped together with Luo Binwang, Lu Zhaolin and Yang Jiong as the "Four Paragons of the Early Tang".

"Wang was also from Shanxi, which ignited my interest in the poet and the land where he died," Zhang says, adding that it reminded him of Wang's verse, "Hainei cun zhiji, tianya ruo bilin (close friend in a distant land, far-flung realms as next door)".

Zhang spent about 10,000 yuan ($1,410.23) in total on the trip.

Forging friendships

As a wonderful means to travel slowly, cycling provides a great way for riders to explore new lands, their food, history, landscapes and people with an open mind and a little juice in the legs.

When Zhang recorded the stunning seascape at UNESCO-listed site Ha Long Bay in northeastern Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin, in Quang Ninh province, a young man noticed Zhang and his bike. After coming to know about Zhang's plan to cycle across Southeast Asia, the Vietnamese said one day, he would also embark on a bike journey like Zhang.

At the Temple of Literature in Hanoi to worship Chinese philosopher Confucius, a local woman was happy to know that Zhang was from China and told him that she hoped to study in Shanghai next year. Her Chinese name is Yang Huiying.

In Cambodia, Zhang was invited to a local birthday party, an experience he cherishes, and many others that shaped his memories of other people's lives, lifestyles and livelihoods.

The friendships established during his adventure brought Zhang closer to local life and culture, which made him feel like being a part of the local community.

Zhu also has many such moments with people in his 12-year bike journey. When he started his ride in South America in 2016, two foreigners fond of Chinese culture impressed him. One was the owner of a hostel in Ecuador, who had traveled to many places in China, conducted small business there, and had a great impression of the country. Even the pattern on the cups he used at home featured Chinese dragons, and he had a collection of some well-known varieties of Chinese liquor.

After cooking him an authentic Chinese meal, the owner waived his room fee for the night. In Zhu's mind, it reflected the ancient Chinese saying: "Treat others with courtesy, and they will respond in kind."

The other was an old man from Peru who was also a fan of Chinese cuisine. Although Peru has a lot of Chinese restaurants, the man was not satisfied and kept inviting Zhu to showcase his culinary skills at a family party. After spending two long hours in the kitchen, Zhu came out with delectable dishes, impressing everyone.

The man's son-in-law asked Zhu to teach him how to cook fish. Gesturing with hands and explaining cooking techniques in broken English, Zhu got a thumbs-up from his host.

"It proves that food has no borders but serves as a good way to bring people together," Zhu says.

Challenges and dangers

Not always smooth, there are unexpected twists and turns on the road, especially during a solo trip, according to Zhang.

On the fourth day of his journey, two wheel spokes of Zhang's secondhand mountain bike broke due to the heavy load. After changing the spokes and servicing the vehicle at a local bike repairing shop for an hour, which cost about 15 yuan, Zhang hopped back on his bike, ready for his ride to Hanoi.

The next morning in Hanoi, Zhang found his bike, which was parked outside the hostel that he stayed in, was stolen.

Although Zhang called the police, he was frustrated and thought of giving up. On second thoughts, he found a bicycle store nearby and bought a new bike.

"For a riding enthusiast, a bike is more than a form of transport, it is a way of life," he explains.

Under Zhang's post on video-sharing platform Bilibili, Zhu left his safety tips: Mind the motorcycle thieves in cities and keep your smartphone in the pocket.

From his 12-year nomadic lifestyle on his bike, the memory of being robbed is still fresh in Zhu's mind — which was en route from Egypt to Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

"It was a scorching day and I felt exhausted after a long ride. I parked my bike under a tree for a rest. As I was taking out a bottle of water from my backpack, I was struck on my head from behind," Zhu recalls, adding that his smartphone fell and was taken away by the robber.

In excruciating pain and head bleeding, Zhu chased the man but lost him in a farm along the road. Staying in hospital for a week, Zhu recovered and continued his journey.

Zhu also got robbed in Pakistan and Iran and after these experiences, he learned to use nunchucks (weapon used in martial arts).

"Despite the dangers, I am happy that I chose this path. What's more important is that I never gave up but kept riding," Zhu says.

Answers on the way

For every rider, there is a reason to cycle. For Zhang, he likes to pedal to explore the uncertain and escape from everyday life.

Most of his peers find a 9-to-5 job and live a routine life, but Zhang yearns for something different. After his Southeast Asia sojourn, he took up a job in the real estate sector.

"When the opportunity comes, I will try other routes, like the Sino-Russian Tea Road and the ancient Silk Road," Zhang says.

The Sino-Russian Tea Road, stretching for 4,760 km, including 1,480 by water and 3,280 by land, once saw tea from Fujian province carried all the way to Mongolia and Russia, about 200 years ago. The Silk Road refers to a network of trade routes used by traders for more than 1,500 years, connecting China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe, extending approximately 6,437 km across some of the world's most formidable landscapes.

For Zhang, it seems that once you hit the road, the journey to discover the world will never stop.

Zhu also feels the same, with cycling as a way to discover more unknown and interesting things which will, in turn, enrich his soul and his life in many ways.

Zhu's journey starts with his childhood dream that as long as the Earth is round, he can cycle around the planet.

"If you have a dream, just hit the road. When you keep exploring, all the anxiety, fear and hesitation will be gone with the wind. Then you can become who you want to be and pursue your dream," Zhu says.