A journey to the West

Two Dutchmen are taking Chinese products on the road home. [Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

Editor’s Note: After spending over five years in China, two Dutch guys quit their jobs for a remarkable reason – to discover China around the world. Impressed by the fascinating stories of motivated Chinese people, Maren Striker and Rogier Bikker left Shanghai on July 26 to spend three months driving to Holland along the old Silk Road, a 15,000-kilometer journey that will span 12 countries.

To show what Chinese people are capable of, they decided to use only local products – a Chinese car, laptops, phones and even sunglasses. Here is the first story that Rogier Bikker wrote about how they prepared for their journey and got started. We will keep updating stories from Bikker and Striker as they continue their journey.

I’m standing among boxes piled up in my living room in central Shanghai. It’s 11 pm and I’m stressed. But it's not the kind of stress that I've experienced working as a foreign entrepreneur in China for the past fi ve years. There are no clients knocking on the door. Instead, it's my buddy Maren in the doorway.

"Just 2 days to go!" he says with excitement. We're about to drive from Shanghai to Rotterdam by car.

What started as a crazy idea over a beer, turned into a year of planning our journey from China to Holland. More than just a road-trip, it's a journey with a message. Because we’ll be traveling using only Chinese brands: a BYD car, Huawei smartphones, AEE cameras, Ozark gear, Lenovo laptops, Xiyouji (A Journey to the West) clothing, Braos sunglasses, and so on.