In late March, Liu Xueying, who had already cycled through most of China, was gearing up again. Before the Spring Festival in 2024, Liu Xueying did a major overhaul of her motorcycle to prepare for a new journey.
“The only place I haven’t been to is the northwest of China, so I’m planning to go to Xinjiang in May this year!”
Liu Xueying is 62 years old this year. Two years ago, she and her husband started a small business in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Now they have ridden more than 36,000 kilometers. Others call her "motorcycle grandma." She felt that running on the highway gave her an unprecedented life experience.
Be a dream chaser in your sixtieth year
"Riding a motorcycle is just to fulfill my old dream. Now I am not as poor as before, and I have more time." Liu Xueying's hometown is in the countryside of Lixin County, Bozhou, Anhui Province. She has been doing farm work and suffered hardships since she was a child. When the crops were not harvested, she also I have experienced a life of "eating the last meal but not the next meal".
"I used to be envious when I saw people riding motorcycles in the village." But in order to support her family and find a way out, Liu Xueying spent the first half of her life running small businesses in the counties around her hometown, selling baked sweet potatoes, cleaning and other jobs. Did it. The burden of life forced her to bury her dream of cycling deep in her heart.
Around 2000, Liu Xueying and his wife went to Suzhou to do business. Their lives improved and their children grew up and started families. Liu Xueying finally had the time and financial resources to pursue her dreams. In August 2022, Liu Xueying signed up for the driving license test without telling her family. "I was already 59 years old at that time. If I didn't go, it would be too late by the time I was 60."
After her family members learned about this incident, they were worried about Liu Xueying's safety and disapproved of it. But Liu Xueying passed the theoretical examination in one go with her own efforts. "Subject 2 and Subject 3 are road tests. If you fail the first time, you will pass the second time." In September 2022, two months before her 60th birthday, Liu Xueying successfully obtained a motorcycle driver's license. D photo.
When her family saw how much Liu Xueying loved motorcycle riding, their attitude changed from opposition to support, and they sponsored her to buy her first second-hand motorcycle.
Ride farther and farther for love
Through continuous practice, Liu Xueying's skills are getting better and better, her courage is getting stronger, and her desire to see further places is getting stronger and stronger.
Three months after getting her driver's license, Liu Xueying prepared her riding equipment and protective gear and embarked on a long-distance riding trip alone on December 27, 2022. The first stop was Hainan, passing through Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and other places.
Liu Xueying will carry two mobile phones with her, one of which is used specifically for navigation. When she feels tired, she will find a rest area, service area or city street corner to stop, have a meal, take a few photos, and experience the local nature and humanities. She never book a hotel in advance online, she always rides to the local area and then finds a place to stay.
After arriving in Sanya, Liu Xueying met more like-minded motorcycle friends. When they learned that Liu Xueying had started riding long distances just over a month after getting her driver's license, everyone said, "You are so brave."
Upon arriving in Sanya, Liu Xueying saw the blue sea. She described it as, "The sea water is so clear that you can see clearly even if you drop a needle into it." After the Hainan cycling trip, Liu Xueying was like a "child who has tasted the sweetness". After returning home, she began to plan her next long-distance cycling trip. This time the destination was Lhasa.
To this end, she also bought a brand new motorcycle that is more suitable for riding on the plateau. On May 9, 2023, Liu Xueying embarked on the journey again. Starting from Zhejiang and passing through Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Chongqing, Liu Xueying headed west. After arriving in Sichuan, Liu Xueying's children learned that their mother was going to Lhasa, so they took turns bombarding her with phone calls to prevent Liu Xueying from going to the plateau alone.
"They are worried that the altitude and temperature in Lhasa are different from where I usually live, and it is too dangerous. But what I think is that I can do what you young people can do, and I just want to visit Lhasa." Although. In this way, Liu Xueying was still very energetic while riding along the 318 Sichuan-Tibet Highway. "Fortunately, my body and car are both in good shape. I didn't suffer from particularly serious altitude sickness, and the car didn't suffer any damage."
The 38-day trip to Tibet ended, and at the end of August that year, Liu Xueying set out for the third time. She cycled through Jiangsu, Shandong, Liaoning and Jilin, and finally headed to the northernmost tip of China - Mohe. So far, nearly 3/4 of China's provinces have Liu Xueying's footprints. "Every time I set out, it's a new beginning. In the process, I saw the scenery in different parts of China and ate different food."
Harvest wind, freedom and friendship
When asked what Liu Xueying gained from cycling, she replied without hesitation: "Wind and freedom."
In Hainan, Liu Xueying ate different kinds of fresh tropical fruits; along the Nu River and Jinsha River, she saw wild monkeys, yaks, and magnificent natural scenery; in Guilin, the clear water of the Li River and the scenery along the coast made her feel relaxed and happy; in Heilongjiang On the highway near Tahe County, she saw the sign "Wild Bears Haunted"; while looking at Mohe Arctic Village, he vaguely saw the cityscape of Russia...
In order to better record every trip, Liu Xueying purchased a sports camera to record the scenery while riding, and also record her brave self. When it is inconvenient for her to shoot, Liu Xueying will also seek help from young cyclists who are traveling with her and ask them to help shoot a few videos. Young tourists on the road are also willing to help Liu Xueying record some wonderful moments. Liu Xueying posted these fragmentary videos on the Internet platform.
Whether online or offline, Liu Xueying's cheerful and talkative personality makes her very popular. Motorcyclists call her a "social cow" and "a social ceiling." "Staying with young people, I feel like I'm getting younger." But what Liu Xueying didn't expect was that she would also become the scenery in the eyes of others and become a close friend and lifelong friend of young motorcycle enthusiasts.
During her first cycling trip, when she arrived in Xuwen County, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, Liu Xueying didn’t know how to take the ferry to Sanya. Coincidentally, she met a fellow motorcycle rider (hereinafter referred to as " Moto friend"). "I saw a parked motorcycle downstairs of the hotel. I was very excited and wanted to get to know him. I waited next to his car."
After a conversation, Liu Xueying learned that the destination of this motorcycle friend from Inner Mongolia was also Sanya, so she made an appointment to take a ferry to Sanya together. "He even invited me to drink coffee on the boat. He was so enthusiastic. When I arrived in Sanya, I invited him to dinner." Liu Xueying said.
What surprised and touched Liu Xueying was that along the way, many motorcycle friends and restaurant owners admired her dream and wanted to pay her bills and deliver meals to her. On the road to Tibet, there are motorcycle friends who come here to send necessities such as oxygen and glucose.
"Hello everyone, I am Grandma Liu, the motorcycle" has also become Liu Xueying's iconic opening line in videos posted on social platforms. Under her short video account, netizens in the comment area said: "Grandma Liu has brought energy and courage to more people with dreams."
The courage to keep walking and travel far is given by your family
In fact, Liu Xueying’s energy and courage also come from her family.
Liu Xueying has a total of three sons and one daughter. The eldest son is doing business in Hangzhou, the second son is in Suzhou, and the third daughter and younger son have settled in Hefei. The children initially expressed opposition and confusion about their mother's choice of riding a bicycle. However, as they saw their mother working hard to learn theoretical knowledge and obtain a driver's license step by step, their attitudes began to change. Although I no longer object to my mother riding a motorcycle, I am still very worried about her safety.
At first, the youngest son Wang Maomao would drive behind Liu Xueying, fearing that his mother would fall, and would provide guidance, demonstration and help. Especially on roads with large traffic volume and poor road conditions, Liu Xueying rides carefully.
Cycling on Mogan Mountain in Zhejiang was Liu Xueying’s first time riding a mountain road. The mountain road had steep slopes and many sharp turns, and Liu Xueying also showed timidity. "That mountain road was too difficult, so I didn't dare to walk." But with Wang Maomao's encouragement, Liu Xueying mustered up the courage, controlled the clutch, stepped on the accelerator and rushed forward. But when they got to the mountain, Liu Xueying was in trouble again, and it was Wang Maomao who helped her get off the bike.
"My mother is the best at everything she does." Wang Maomao sighed after following Liu Xueying on several short rides. Before every long-distance ride, Liu Xueying would go to Wang Maomao's home in Hefei for a few days to spend time with her grandson. "I definitely want to see my grandson before I travel."
The third daughter, Wang Xinxin, also lives in Hefei. She often goes to Wang Maomao's house to visit her mother, chat with Liu Xueying about daily life, and listen to her talk about interesting things on the cycling road. "Every step I take, my family is very concerned about me, so I dare to pursue my dreams. The courage to travel far is also given to me by my family." Liu Xueying said.
When she turned 60, she chose to take a driving license test to pursue the dream she had buried deep in her heart when she was young. Liu Xueying does not regret this choice. She even plans to ride abroad in the future to see exotic scenery, people, and taste different food. She still has some ideas of her own to give more meaning to the ride, but currently feels "too willing to do so" - to call on society to pay more attention to children with special diseases through publicity along the ride.
"When you are young, just think about it, do it when you want to do it, don't be afraid of hardship, and don't leave regrets for yourself." Liu Xueying wants to tell everyone through her actions, especially teenagers who have dreams, when they have dreams It’s never too late, and age is no obstacle in pursuing your dreams.
In her opinion, love never stops and steps never stop.
Intern Zhu Xinyu China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Wang Haihan Source: China Youth Daily