Frenchmen travel the Silk Road by bicycle

The pair traveled east along the Silk Road to mark the friendship between France and China. [Photo/IC] More photos

Two French cyclists — Basile Pottier and Simon Poniard — arrived in Beijing on Sunday after cycling through 10 countries along the Silk Road from Paris to Beijing, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of China-French diplomatic ties.

The cyclists departed from the foot of a statue of Charles de Gaulle at the Grand Palais in Paris on January 27, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations.

The journey covered some 13,000 kilometers through 10 countries, including Italy, Greece, Turkey and Tajikistan.

The two men, both aged 27, had talked about making the trip since high school.

"Basile and I have had a dream to travel to the East since we were young," said Poniard. "Beijing has always fascinated me by both its rich ancient civilization, and its modernity. Now our dreams have come true. We are very proud of ourselves, and of those who have supported us along the journey."

On behalf of the French Embassy in Beijing, Fabrice Rousseau, the deputy cultural counselor gave a speech at a welcoming ceremony for the cyclists hosted by Hainan Airlines in Beijing on Sunday.

Rousseau congratulated the two French cyclists for realizing their high school dreams, and said they took the chance to bridge the gap between Paris and Beijing by bicycle to celebrate China-France's half-century friendship.

"I can feel the freedom they exhibited. But undoubtedly it took them indomitable persistence to reach China's capital. I hope the courage and spirit in them will inspire more young people from China and France to challenge themselves, and more communication and cooperation in sports between the two countries," he said.

For their final leg in Beijing, cycling from the Zhengyici Peking Opera Theatre, one of the oldest wooden structures in China to a five-star hotel, the Frenchmen were joined by Tangla Beijing, 10 cycling enthusiasts from the Hainan Airlines' cycling club.

Pottier recalled the many interesting and beautiful moments they experienced on the road. For example, they met a curious and kind-hearted Iranian who drove a tractor to join them, and also offered them a room to sleep in. They also befriended Central Asian sheep dogs from Turkmenistan.

"The most valuable part was to meet different people and to experience different local cultures. What also impressed me was the hand pilaf in Kashgar, and Yangro Paomo (pita bread soaked in lamb soup) in Xi'an," Pottier said.

After a short stopover in Beijing, Pottier and Poniard plan to cycle to Yunnan province before flying back to France via Singapore, and will then look for jobs back home.