Long-distance cycling is a very challenging endeavor. To save money, Li Fuli and Chen Haibin were reluctant to stay in hotels at night during their journey, instead opting to pitch tents by the roadside. They said that originally they would set off every morning at 5 o'clock, but due to the severe winter cold, they had to delay their departure until 8 a.m., eating lunch at 1 p.m., and continuing on until around 6 or 7 p.m. before stopping to rest.
Li Fuli and Chen Haibin took many beautiful photos along the way. On the evening of the Lantern Festival, they unfurled a banner signed by ten thousand people along the Pearl River in Guangzhou, appealing to citizens to contribute their love for the impoverished villages' primary schools in Huining County, Gansu Province. This appeal received enthusiastic responses from many citizens.
According to reports (by journalist Lin Jing), Beijing wedding photographers Li Fuli and Chen Haibin gave up their jobs in the capital and set out from Beijing on December 19th last year. Passing through Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and other places, they recently arrived in Guangzhou. After a brief three-day stay in Guangzhou, they will set out again tomorrow. They say they will ride bicycles across the country within two years, capturing the magnificent landscapes of the motherland in photographs to be auctioned off, with the proceeds going towards building a Hope Primary School in Huining County, Gansu Province.
So far, Li Fuli and Chen Haibin have cycled through seven provinces and cities, spending more than 6000 yuan.
Li Fuli, who used to be in the grain business back home, withdrew his savings to buy two bicycles, as well as DSLR cameras, laptops, tents, and other necessities. He and Chen Haibin embarked on their journey on December 19th last year.
Li Fuli's idea was supported by his colleague Chen Haibin, who is from Hunan Province and just turned 24 this year. To achieve the dream of building a Hope Primary School, they decided to cycle around the country, photographing the beauty of the nation and auctioning the pictures to raise funds for constructing the school.
Li Fuli, a native of Xincun, Henan Province, is 38 years old, and his eldest child is about to take university entrance exams. Li Fuli has been working as a wedding photographer in Beijing for a year. He mentioned that he was deeply moved after seeing on TV how difficult it was for children in some impoverished areas to study, which inspired him to build a Hope Primary School in these regions through his own efforts.
To save expenses, they camped in tents along the way.
Abandoning their lucrative jobs as wedding photographers in Beijing, they plan to complete their nationwide cycling tour within two years.
Two photographers and a cyclist from Hubei Province in Guangzhou. Photo by journalist Shao Quanda.