Martin Li

    martin.mouse@163.com

    IN 2011 an ordinary young man working in the IT industry spent 28 days on a cycling tour in Tibet. In the following year, he cycled around Taiwan without spending a single penny during a period of 15 days.

    It’s hard to believe before these adventures that the 31-year-old man, Hong Shujing, used to be a no-sports person.

    However, he now calls himself a traveler loving life.

    Tired of the quiet life

    Hong was born in a village in southern Fujian Province in 1982, and grew up as a hard-working and quiet man thanks to his father’s strictness. He seldom played with peers and did few sports.

    During his study at Xiamen University as an e-commerce major, Hong didn’t take part in any society.

    After graduation, Hong worked for an IT company in Nanjing, and then came to Shenzhen after getting employed by an internet company in the city.

    Most of Hong’s colleagues were quiet men, which made Hong quieter.

    “My work was very boring and life was like a pool of stagnant water,” Hong recalled.

    Hong decided to make a change to his quiet life.

    Sports changes character

    Influenced by a friend, nicknamed Shuchong – bookworm, Hong started hiking.

    A hiking fan, Shuchong often invited Hong to go hiking with him, which awakened Hong’s inner passion for sport.

    After Shuchong left Shenzhen, Hong started looking for other hiking partners on the Internet.

    “Hiking makes me find a new self,” said Hong.

    After repeated hiking at weekends Hong accumulated outdoor first-aid knowledge, and got familiar with hiking routes.

    Hong scaled all the peaks in Shenzhen and hiked across costal lines in places like Xichong.

    Hong gradually became more talkative and confident in communication with hiking partners.

    He said that it’s easy to accept new friends in the countryside.

    Move to cycle

    In July 2009, a high school classmate of Hong cycled from Fuzhou, capital city of Fujian Province, to Shenzhen.

    “I was very much impressed by the classmate. When he appeared in front of me, he looked exhausted and sweaty. That’s the first time I wanted to try cycling,” said Hong. It took more than 10 days for the classmate’s cycling tour.

    The classmate told Hong about stories on the cycling tour and Hong thought they were amazing.

    “I used to think only soldiers had courage to do such a journey,” he said.

    The classmate was also an introverted boy at high school, but he was passionate and talkative in Hong’s eyes when he cycled to Shenzhen.

    At the end of 2012 Hong was invited by a friend, Ken, to cycle to Huizhou. The trip took him 14 hours.

    “I felt good despite the physical challenge,” recalled Hong.

    Hong started cycling, firstly on cycling tracks in the city and later moving to farther afield places.

    Cycling to Tibet

    Following the Spring Festival in 2011, Hong decided to cycle to Tibet, in a hope of appreciating blue sky, crystal water, great snow mountains and vast grasslands there.

    In physical preparation, Hong jogged and swam every day. Additionally, he collected information and materials about Tibet.

    After more than two months preparation, Hong joined other cyclists to start from Chengdu.

    On the 28-day cycling trip, Hong met with the frequent burst of bicycle tires, downpours, hailstones, landslides and gusting sand, challenging both his body and willpower.

    Hong cried four times on the trip, not for hardship, but moved by the people and stories he saw and experienced.

    Cycling to Taiwan

    After returning from Tibet, Hong became more obsessed with cycling and made a lot of friends who liked traveling.

    However, Hong found that many of them considered money necessary for travel. Therefore, Hong started thinking about a journey without him spending a single penny. This time, the destination was Taiwan.

    Hong started his cycling tour around Taiwan in November last year. On the trip, he slept in police stations, temples, churches, beacons and at the seaside.

    Although he used to be thought of as a cheater when he tried to seek help from others on the trip, he met many friendly people.

    When his bicycle tire burst, he sought help on the Internet. Soon some people appeared, offering him free accommodation and taking him to taste local snacks.

    Many people offered to treat Hong to a dinner on his microblog, which he continued updating about his trip in Taiwan.

    Hong met a man, Huang, in southeast Taiwan. Huang established a volunteer station, providing free accommodation to cycling fans. In return, cyclists are required to do some local volunteer jobs.

    Hong was moved by the program and helped Huang cook for elderly people who live alone and chatted with them.

    Hong also tutored local primary school students and collected garbage at the local seaside.

    “Real happiness is giving, not taking. Giving is more important than rushing to the next destination by cycling,” said Hong.

    After returning from Taiwan, Hong was invited by the Luohu District library to share his cycling experience with local residents.

    “If you don’t do something right now, you will not be able to do it forever,” Hong said.

    He wrote about his experience in Taiwan on his microblog.

    Hong has also written a book to describe his cycling journey to Tibet and put it on his microblog.

    “Travel with a life attitude and live with a traveling attitude. I’m just a cyclist loving life. I’m not interested in taking part in a cycling competition or upgrading my cycling equipment. I only hope to become more healthy and positive through cycling,” said Hong.

    "I’m just a cyclist loving life. I’m not interested in taking part in a cycling competition or upgrading my cycling equipment. I only hope to become more healthy and positive through cycling.”

— Hong Shujing, who spent 28 days on a cycling tour in Tibet in 2011 and cycled around Taiwan without spending a penny during 15 days in 2012