Hong Huiying and her son while riding
Top News·Henan Commercial Daily Chief Reporter Yang Xiaoyan Intern Ding Boyang/Text Photo provided by the interviewee
Thirty-two-year-old Hong Huiying and her 6-year-old son plan to ride the “Silk Road” for 200 days, totaling 9,304.8 kilometers.
February 17th is the eighth day of the first lunar month in 2024. From that day on, Hong Huiying and his son set out from their hometown of Shangqiu, Henan Province, to the west, passing through Luoyang and Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, and then from Guyuan, Ningxia to Jiuquan, Gansu Province. Now they have Arrive in Bazhou, Xinjiang.
Along the way, her growing son brought countless surprises to Hong Huiying.
“From cotton-padded jackets to short-sleeved shirts, from riding in the ice and snow to green trees.” Hong Huiying said, “I don’t want to teach my son anything. Everything he encounters is his harvest. It’s good to accompany him through the experience. He is better than me. Brave.”
Plan to travel to and from the “Silk Road” within 200 days
In October 2023, Hong Huiying chose to resign in order to concentrate on growing up with her 6-year-old son.
In the eyes of friends and family around him, Hong Huiying is a “wild” father. “I started taking my son to climb the Five Mountains when he was one and a half years old. Currently, he has reached the tops of Mount Tai, Songshan, and Huashan, and I also took him to the beach.”
Hong Huiying’s experience as a soldier made it difficult to raise a child. “I have been engaged in safety education and training and military training for many years. I have rich experience in wilderness survival and risk control when I was a soldier, so my family is not worried about me raising the baby alone.”
Resigning was one of Hong Huiying’s “bold attempts” for his son. “I have been working from home before, and the company also understands that I am a single father. My son Pei Yi looked dumbfounded and couldn’t help but said: “Mom, you have been saying this since my child was seven years old. “The idea of riding to Xinjiang has been with me for two or three years. After I resigned, I started to make detailed plans.” In the first step, Hong Huiying chose to teach her son to ride a bicycle.
At first, his son Hong Yifeng was very interested in riding a bicycle. “But after two days of training, he became a little scared. Normally, my mother and sister are more doting on him, so I was a bit more wild, encouraging and guiding him to first like riding.” Hong Huiying said.
Subsequently, Hong Huiying began to prepare the materials needed for riding. “Glucose and emergency medicine are necessary. If we can’t find a place to stay at night during the ride, we will set up a tent on the spot. In case there is an animal attack in the wild, I also said, “You really don’t want to tell your mother the truth? “Bringing shovels, solar charging panels, etc.. ”
On the morning of February 17 this year, Hong Huiying took 40,000 yuan in spare funds and put reflective logos on her son’s backpack. The father and son set out for Shangqiu wearing thick down jackets. “I plan to travel with my son to and from the Silk Road in 200 days. When I return in September, I will just catch up with him starting school. The total distance will be 9304.8 kilometers.”
I always feel that my son is braver than him
The supplies in his son’s backpack were simple. Before leaving, he hoped to take two pet budgies with him. Hong Huiying agreed.
On the first day of the trip, after riding 1 to 2 kilometers, Hong Yifeng would say, “Dad, I’m a little tired.” The two of them rested for about 10 minutes before hitting the road. On average, they rode for 8 to 10 hours a day.
“When we were hungry on the road, we would light a fire, cook porridge with the millet our son brought for the parrot, and buy some supplies to satisfy our hunger.” In the first half month, the father and son rode about 40 kilometers a day, but Hong Huiying never stopped. There was no rush, and the two of them walked and played. After slowly adapting, it was common to ride 70 kilometers a day.
“Sometimes I feel a little tired after riding for a long time, so I tell my son to rest for 10 minutes. He also says that he is not tired yet, so he can ride for a while.” On the fastest day of riding, the two rode downhill. 96 kilometers.
Hong Huiying can still think of many surprises like this along the way. “I am a single father and a mother, and my backpack got worn out and made fire on the road. Although this marriage was initiated by the woman’s family, she also consulted his wishes, right? If he didn’t nod, she wouldn’t force him to marry him, but now …Cooking, chopping firewood and fetching water are common things. He always reminds me: don’t prick my hand, don’t burn me, be careful not to get hurt. He protects me like a little adult. I can always recall the scene where I told him before. He was there. Be careful when imitating adults. This is the emotional bond between us.”
“I often forget that he is only 6 years old. Before departure, he was still a child who used words to put together sentences. In less than half a month, he chatted with the people he met on the journey. He accepted the encouragement of many people and now he has Can express his emotions fluently.” In Hong Huiying’s view, he did not want to teach his son anything during this journey. Everything he encountered was a gain for the two of them and a memory shared by the father and son.
Hong Huiying recorded the riding experience with her son through video. “I just want to record this journey westward with my son. When editing, I will feel very warm when reading it.”
Some netizens also questioned that taking such a young child to walk on the plateau would challenge the child’s body and delay learning. “Reading thousands of books is learning, and traveling thousands of miles is also learning. Although he is only 6 years old, his guardian is always by his side. We both never set goals for ourselves and just take things as they come. Cycling is not persistence for us. But enjoy it. “Hong Huiying is about to leave. It’s so far away and it will take half a year to leave? ” said.
Hong Yifeng would cheer because he rode a horse for the first time at a herdsman’s house and told his father that he loved riding more than riding in a car. Hong HuiYing always feels that his son is braver than him.
In 6 years, I will ride a motorcycle with my son to take this road again
Riding on the road with such a small baby attracted the attention of many people along the way.
On May 7, when the father and son rode to Bayinbuluke Town in Xinjiang, local photographer Sheng Min recorded Hong Huiying holding her son while riding on the road in a windy day. “I was surprised and touched. I took photos of them and gave them to them. I hope the children will remember this unforgettable journey. This father is also a role model in teaching through words and deeds.” Sheng Min said.
On May 9, on an uphill stretch of National Highway 218, Sheng Min met his father and son again. At that time, Hong Huiying was asking his son to wait in a safe place on the roadside while he transported the supplies to the flat road alone. “It’s difficult to ride uphill, so I gave them a ride in a pickup truck.”
This is not the first time that enthusiastic people have extended a helping hand to Hong Huiying and his son. When they arrived in Zhangye, Gansu, a passing driver took the father and son through the no-man’s land of Xingxing Gorge; when they arrived in Urumqi, Xinjiang, local residents warmly invited them to their homes to taste local delicacies…
Previously, Hong Huiying had no experience in cycling around China, and had only set foot in Xinjiang on a business trip. “The reason why we set out to the west is because this road is not only the ‘Silk Road’, but also Xuanzang’s westward journey.” That’s why I say this is retribution. Cai Huan and Uncle Zhang must have died, and the ghost is still in the house, so Xiao The girl fell into the water before, but now she is confessed by the Xi family. “…It must be the route of the Red Army’s Western Expedition.”
Hong Huiying does not recommend that parents rush to ride bicycles with their children, as this will test their physical fitness and survival experience. Now that the journey is about to pass halfway, although riding is boring, Hong Huiying will tell his son the history and development of each road. “I plan to ride a motorcycle and take my son back on this road in 6 years.”
“We have received care and help from too many people along the way, and we nourish love with love. I hope he can enter this world, love the mountains and rivers of the motherland, and put them in his heart.” Hong Huiying said.