A Jiangxi man rode along the Silk Road to Paris to watch the Olympics, crossing 18 countries
2024-08-17
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This article is transferred from [Jiangxi Daily];
Zhu Zhiwen, a man from Ruijin, Jiangxi Province, started from the Beijing Bird's Nest, traveled through 18 countries, and rode a total of 15,500 kilometers in 16 months, finally arriving in Paris, France a few days before the opening of the Olympic Games.
▲Zhu Zhiwen is riding a bicycle
▲Zhu Zhiwen arrived in Paris
"Come on, Chinese team!" Zhu Zhiwen waved the national flag and shouted vigorously when Chinese athletes appeared on the boat at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024. His enthusiasm infected the people around him. Regardless of nationality, age, or skin color, everyone cheered for the Chinese delegation in Chinese.
What they don’t know is that this Chinese man named Zhu Zhiwen has a label on the Chinese Internet called “Olympic Cyclist”.
On August 8, a reporter from Jiangxi News Client contacted Zhu Zhiwen and interviewed him about the story behind his cycling.
A journey to pursue the Olympic spirit
▲One person, one car
Zhu Zhiwen is 38 years old this year and has been cycling for 12 years.
In 2012, 26-year-old Zhu Zhiwen made up his mind to quit his nine-to-five job and start traveling around the world by bicycle, determined to live the life he wanted. On May 1 of that year, Zhu Zhiwen rode a red bicycle with a simple bag on the back seat, starting from Shanghai People's Square, riding along National Highway 318 to Nepal, then passing through India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and finally returning to Yunnan, China.
This cycling trip covered more than 10,000 kilometers. "It was like a dream."
So, Asia, Africa, America... Zhu Zhiwen never planned his routes, but he rode longer and longer, and farther and farther.
Zhu Zhiwen has made plans for the Paris Olympics cycling trip in advance. On March 5, 2023, Zhu Zhiwen released a video about his plan to cycle across the Eurasian continent to Paris to watch the Olympics: "First, it is to inherit the Olympic spirit. Secondly, this route is also the Silk Road, which can record the cultural customs of various countries."
On March 12, 2023, Zhu Zhiwen set off from the Beijing Bird's Nest alone in a car. His original plan was to go from Central Asia to Iran and the Caucasus, and then enter Europe from Turkey. However, on the way, he learned that Afghanistan had opened its border policy, so he decided to temporarily change the route, turning from Tajikistan to Afghanistan, and then entering Iraq.
This is a special route - the Silk Road on land. It passes through 18 countries including Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, and Italy.
▲At the opening ceremony viewing platform, Zhu Zhiwen cheered for the Chinese team
Zhu Zhiwen spent 9,000 euros to buy a ticket for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. On July 26, he stood in the audience of the Olympics and cheered for the Chinese athletes. It seemed that he had overlapped with his figure eight years ago.
In April 2016, Zhu Zhiwen rode to the "end of the world" in South America - Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. He decided on the spur of the moment to go to Brazil to watch the Olympics. So he rode his bicycle over mountains and arrived in Rio de Janeiro a few days before the opening of the Olympics.
That year, Zhu Zhiwen spent $1,000 to buy a ticket for the opening ceremony of the Olympics from a friend and walked into the Maracana Stadium. This was his first time watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics live. When the Chinese delegation came out, he excitedly shouted: "China team! Come on!"
From then on, he was labeled as an "Olympic cyclist" on the Internet.
Cultural exchange trips
While cycling, Zhu Zhiwen discovered that most of the people in the countries along the way were kind and enthusiastic.
In many Central Asian countries, Zhu Zhiwen always received Chinese greetings and exchanges from local people along the way. When some local people heard that Zhu Zhiwen was from China, their first reaction was to take out their mobile phones to take photos with him. Others would invite Zhu Zhiwen to their homes for dinner.
In the countries along the Silk Road, Zhu Zhiwen can truly feel the impact of China on the local areas. For example, in Uzbekistan, Chinese products can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys, and many young people are still talking about domestic electric vehicles such as BYD. In Afghanistan and Syria, which have experienced war, the people are full of curiosity about the arrival of the Chinese and warmly welcome them.
Whenever someone asks Zhu Zhiwen about his hometown, he will open the map, point to Jiangxi and tell them that they are welcome to visit Jiangxi if they have the chance, and he will talk endlessly about the beautiful scenery and delicious food of Jiangxi.
The places Zhu Zhiwen most often introduces are Lushan and Wuyuan. When he meets foreign friends who love spicy food, he always specifically introduces "Jiangxi spicy" to them, telling them to try it when they have the chance and understand what Jiangxi's "can't live without spicy food" is.
In Mashhad, Iran, Zhu Zhiwen met an old man named Wali who particularly loved Chinese food. Wali would "lick the plate" every time he ate Chinese food, even scraping away the juice.
Zhu Zhiwen joked: "If you eat Jiangxi cuisine, you won't eat so much. The spiciness will set your tongue on fire."
Wally smiled and replied, "Is it really that spicy? If I go to China, I must try Jiangxi cuisine to get a feel for it."
Compared with the difficulties and hardships encountered during cycling, Zhu Zhiwen is more willing to share the culture and enthusiasm he has experienced in different countries. He told reporters that many foreign friends said they wanted to visit China, experience Chinese culture, and taste Chinese food. During these 12 years of cycling, he also spread Chinese history and culture, the voice of Jiangxi, and made many foreign friends with his cooking skills of Jiangxi cuisine.
A journey of friendship
Zhu Zhiwen said that during his cycling trip to Paris, while crossing Iran, he also visited an old friend he had met ten years ago.
Ten years ago, when Zhu Zhiwen rode to the ancient Iranian city of Isfahan, he ran out of money because his bank card could not be used to withdraw cash. Carpet merchant Shayid came to his rescue in time and helped Zhu Zhiwen out of his urgent need.
This time when he traveled back to Iran, Zhu Zhiwen brought specially prepared panda dolls, Chinese knots and other gifts to visit his old friend Shayid. "Everyone was very happy."
Shayid also invited Zhu Zhiwen and some other Chinese in Iran to a barbecue party at a farm in the suburbs to chat about their experiences over the years.
During the interview, Zhu Zhiwen shared two unforgettable memories.
In a mountainous area in Ecuador, Zhu Zhiwen met a Colombian man. The man was eating barbecue on the roadside. Out of curiosity, Zhu Zhiwen approached him to say hello and took a photo. When the man heard that he was from China, he immediately invited him to sit down and taste together.
The man's name is Rodigo. He studied abroad at Fudan University in Shanghai and knew some Chinese. During his study abroad, he met a girl from Colombia, who is now his wife.
Mrs. Rodigo was also very happy. She loved Chinese food the most and invited Zhu Zhiwen to visit her home if he passed by the city where Rodigo's family lived in Colombia.
Speaking of Chinese food, Zhu Zhiwen immediately thought of the Gannan Aimeiguo from his hometown Ruijin, Jiangxi. He wanted to use this delicacy to give back to the Rodigos, but it was inconvenient to find mugwort in America, so he had to take the Rodigos to study making dumplings.
This was Zhu Zhiwen's first time making dumplings abroad, and Rodigo's two youngest sons also joined in. Although their dumplings were ugly, the family was very happy while making them and talking with Zhu Zhiwen about their experience of watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Later, when Zhu Zhiwen passed by Medellin, Colombia, he was actually invited by Rodigo's parents to their home. They made dumplings together and had a great time.
In the small Ecuadorian city of Cuenca, Zhu Zhiwen also conquered the owner of a youth hostel with his Gan cuisine cooking skills. Because he was "captured" by the deliciousness of Three Cup Chicken, the youth hostel owner and Zhu Zhiwen reached a "food for accommodation" plan. As long as Zhu Zhiwen was willing to cook Chinese food for him, he would take Zhu Zhiwen to the vegetable market, pay for all the ingredients, and let Zhu Zhiwen use the kitchen at home as he pleased.
In addition to riding to watch the Olympics, Zhu Zhiwen's dream is to complete a cycling trip around the seven continents. Currently, Zhu Zhiwen has completed cycling on five continents, leaving only Oceania and Antarctica.
▲On July 6, 2024, Zhu Zhiwen (second from left) communicated with college students from Bologna, Italy. Photo/provided by the interviewee
"For me, it's a bit like running in both directions, absorbing each other. From my experience, they (locals) can also understand what China is like." Zhu Zhiwen uses wheels to measure the world, and also brings Chinese culture, hometown food, and the Olympic spirit representing peace, understanding, friendship, and unity to all parts of the world. He hopes that his dream-chasing journey can become a bridge connecting the world and let China's good voice "go out."
Source: Jiangxi News Client (Text/Xia Yuxin, All-media Reporter Chen Shuangshuang, Photos/Provided by the Interviewee)
Video editing: Lu Wenqing
