Wanderer finds wonder wherever he cycles

After cycling 5,600 kilometers in 82 days, Fu Qisheng finally reached his destination－the North Base Camp of Mount Qomolangma in the Tibet autonomous region－on Aug 11.

Standing at 5,200 meters above sea level, the 60-year-old was unable to hold back his tears and immediately took photos with his bike in front of the altitude marker.

The retired teacher from Ningxia Industrial and Vocational College in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, began the journey from his home on May 22, and crossed Ningxia and the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Yunnan before arriving in Lhasa, capital city of Tibet, on Aug 1.

"Actually, it was not the first time I've cycled to Lhasa," Fu said. "When I finished my first trip to the city in 2015, I told myself that I would come back again."

This time though, Lhasa was not his final destination.

Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, "is sacred and majestic and has attracted many climbers and tourists, including me," he said. "So, when I didn't feel uncomfortable with the altitude in Lhasa, I decided to cycle further."

He took nine days to finish the last 600 km of his journey.

In 2009, Fu's college moved to a new location about 17 km from his home, and he began to cycle to work every day.

"Although I had a car, I found cycling was a better way for me to get in some daily exercise," he said. "Gradually, I became an enthusiast and kept cycling, even on vacation days."

In 2015, he completed his first long-distance cycling journey from Chengdu in Sichuan province to Lhasa.

He was greatly encouraged by his success, and over the next few years, he cycled to a number of cities and regions across the country, including the northernmost city, Mohe, in Heilongjiang province, and Qinghai Lake in Qinghai province.

"Cycling outside Ningxia gave me greater opportunity to enjoy our country's beautiful landscapes," he said. "It also helped me keep healthy."

Fu began to prepare for his latest trip several months ago.

"Starting in October, I ran several kilometers every day because you have to be fit to cycle long distances," he said. "Also, a decade's worth of cycling experience gave me confidence before I set out."

After carefully planning his route, Fu set off with about 35 kilograms of luggage, including clothes, necessities and bike repair tools.

"I also took a tent and a pressure cooker," he said. "When the weather was good, I could enjoy camping."

However, during his journey, Fu also encountered obstacles, including storms, terrible road conditions, flat tires and breathing difficulties at high elevations.

"The landscape is really unique and spectacular on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but the biggest difficulty for me was the severe lack of oxygen, especially as I climbed mountains," he said. "To save my strength, I sometimes had to walk slowly, pushing my bike instead of riding it.

"Thanks to careful training and preparation, I was able to keep going and finally reach my destination. The experience has honed my persistence and fearlessness."

Fu usually rode for 10 hours from dawn to dusk, traveling about 80 km a day.

"I was quite proud when I received praise and encouragement from strangers after they learned that I had come from far away," he said.

"There were also lots of people who helped me during the trip, so I experienced warmth and hospitality."

He said that before he set off for Tibet in 2015, his family was concerned for his safety. They said it was too far to cycle, especially as he was going alone.

"Finally, they agreed because of my determination to go and because I promised to call them every day to let them know everything was fine," he said. "As I have cycled to more places in recent years, they have become more encouraging than concerned, which also increased my confidence that I could finish the trip to Mount Qomolangma."

Fu said he has many more plans for the future.

"Cycling has become an indispensable part of my life, and I will continue trying to realize my dream of traveling around China by bike," he said.