Pedaling cross-country to chase dreams

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.