3,000-km cycling trip gives students life lessons

After cycling 3,000 kilometers in 30 days, Lan Huiyun and his 32 students finally reached their destination — Hainan province — and finished their ride around Hainan Island on July 9.

Lan, 38, a geography teacher from No 1 Middle School in the Shuocheng district of Shuozhou, Shanxi province, started out with his students on June 10, several days after they finished the gaokao, the national college entrance examination.

They set off from their campus and passed through the provinces of Henan, Hubei, Hunan and Guangdong before arriving at Haikou, capital of Hainan.

The special journey was a promise made by Lan to the students and also the final geography field trip he arranged for them.

At the beginning of their senior year, Lan promised in class that after the national college entrance examination, he would organize a special graduation cycling trip. "Then I began preparations by leading students in physical and emergency training," said Lan. "I also drove to Hainan to familiarize myself with the terrain and road conditions along the route."

It was not the first time Lan had organized such a journey to commemorate the end of high school. After the national college entrance exam of 2016, he and seven of his students rode from Shuozhou to Manzhouli in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

In 2019, Lan and 11 students spent 16 days cycling from Shuozhou to Shanghai.

And in 2022, Lan and his 13 students rode to Qinghai Lake in Qinghai province and finished their ride around the lake.

"Having explored the border to the north, witnessed prosperity to the east, and touched nature to the west, I wanted to take them south to see the sea," said Lan. Spanning from 39 degrees to 18 degrees north latitude, the route passes through the Yellow River, Yangtze River, as well as various terrains like the Loess Plateau, Nanling Mountains and Pearl River Delta.

"The route allows students to visually see the differences in vegetation and crops under temperate monsoon climate, subtropical monsoon climate, and tropical monsoon climate, making it an excellent geography field trip route," he said. "For instance, in Shuozhou, the crops — mainly wheat — are harvested once a year, while Henan has two harvests a year."

Their arrival in Henan in mid-June coincided with the wheat harvest season and corn sprouting stage, so Lan introduced the crop planting patterns to the students.

In the following days, the students experienced rice planting, harvested lychee and pineapples, and took a sea ferry for the first time.

"Each different experience along the journey turned abstract terms from geography textbooks into unforgettable scenic spots in the students' memories," said Lan.

Mi Yingyan, the only female student participating in the graduation cycling trip, said she underwent more diverse experiences.

"In fact, when I came to know I was the only female student on the trip, I was a little hesitant," she said. "But my parents encouraged me, saying that life is about having different experiences, which gave me strength and courage to embark on this journey."

"During the journey, with the unpredictable weather, sudden steep slopes, unplanned road repairs, unexpected encounters, and some minor troubles, our journey was filled with many variables and uncertainties, much like life itself," she said. "We must accept the impermanence, embrace change, and be prepared to make timely decisions in the face of uncertainty."

Fu Yang, 22, one of Lan's students who graduated in 2022, was invited as the team leader, responsible for bike maintenance and taking care of younger students.

"Compared to the journey from Shanxi to Qinghai, the journey from Shanxi to Hainan was relatively easier, with better roads and a variety of landscapes and cultures to enjoy," he said. "The cultural customs and culinary specialties of different regions along the journey are charming and diverse, allowing for a deep immersion in the regional culture and broadening of horizons.

"During the trip, Lan used his professional knowledge to interpret the regional topography and vegetation distribution, turning the theoretical knowledge from textbooks into accessible natural classrooms," said Fu. "When the team encountered unexpected weather, he flexibly adjusted the route with his rich outdoor experience to overcome obstacles."

Over the past three years of high school, Lan also led his students in many meaningful activities, such as visiting museums in the provincial capital Taiyuan and visiting lonely elderly people and left-behind children in remote areas.

"I hope to influence more people through my actions and contribute more to society in terms of truth, kindness and beauty," said Lan. "In the future, I will find more ways to expand my students' horizons, as there are many meaningful things waiting for us on the journey of life."

Contact the writers at zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn