Peking University, December 21, 2022: Chen Yihang fell off her bike less than 5km into her first-ever day trip with the Cycling Association of Peking University (CAPU). Shy and embarrassed, the 18-year-old did not see herself leading a month-long cycling expedition two years later. In the summer of 2022, Chen led a team of 14 students to travel 2,022 km by bicycle, from Yan’an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, to Mianyang in southwest China's Sichuan Province - with no support vehicle.
 
The Summer Expedition is an annual highlight activity of the cycling association. Every year, students cycle around 2,000-3,000 kilometers in teams of 10-15. In their 30-day trip, her team spent 18 days cycling, traveling 112 km per day on average, Chen told PKU News during an interview. 

A typical riding day would see the team setting off at 7 am for breakfast and arriving at their accommodation before 7 pm. The team would have dinner, debrief, and plan before calling it a day. Members would take turns leading the way, taking videos and photos, and going on recces to find food and accommodation. Team members were also trained in bike maintenance and first aid to handle minor issues on the road. Chen’s team enjoyed great flexibility in planning the route and dedicating days to sightseeing, while the two other teams who went on this year’s Summer Expedition had slightly different experiences. One team took a longer trip, starting from Hohhot in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; while another team spent 5 days doing field research in a traditional village inhabited by ethnic Baima people in northwest China's Gansu Province. The three teams met at the scenic Jiuzhaigou to finish the last leg of the expedition together.

For Chen, cycling has carried her across geographical, cultural and mental boundaries. Through cycling, she broke away from the bubble in which she grew up to connect herself to a wider world. She believes cyclists should pay attention to the places they travel through and the people around them. Indeed, her team was rewarded with spontaneous and heartwarming encounters. After a grueling uphill climb on the Loess Plateau in north China, they were greeted by a few farmers selling fruits. It just so happened that one of the farmers shared a surname with one of the team members. Addressing her dearly as “auntie,” the team learned that the government launched a massive afforestation and terracing campaign around 9 years ago to control erosion in the region. Chen was delighted to ride into the embrace of the green hills, and even happier to hear that most villagers can now make a living by growing corn, apples and other crops. “I thought we would be seeing mostly loess and learning about geology, but we were surprised to see so much vegetation there. We saw the results of the concerted efforts of the government, residents as well as forestry and conservation workers with our own eyes. The villagers are enjoying a better natural environment and benefitting from it economically. We were impressed by their stories; the place was such a hidden gem!” The trip did not only broaden Chen’s horizons, but also inspired her to contribute towards the betterment of humanity.
 
Apart from learning about places along the way, Chen surely learned a great deal about being a team player as well. Steering a group of young adults through a month-long journey, overcoming sickness, injury, bad weather and other incidents, was no easy feat. When asked for their formula for success, Chen humbly credited her teammates for their discipline and commitment. She thought her teammates went above and beyond in being accountable to themselves, the team and the community. The team stayed together through thick and thin and lifted each other up on bad days, making the trip safe and smooth. “As the captain, I believed I had to inject a certain ‘spirit’ in the early stages of team building, which would set the tone for the entire trip. I hoped that everyone could be clear of their strengths and capabilities, that they could fully unleash their potential while enabling the team to achieve more.” To Chen, respecting each other’s contributions, personalities and boundaries was also an essential value embraced by her team. At the same time, no one’s hard work should be taken for granted. The team would come together every evening to appreciate and celebrate what each member had done for each other, crucial or trivial.

Chen was not born as a natural, empathetic leader. She pretty much grew into the role. In the 2021 Summer Expedition from Luoyang, Henan Province to Guilin, Guangxi Province, Chen felt like she did not make a substantial contribution to the team. She was often immersed in her own thoughts and did not pay enough attention to her teammates as much as she would have wanted to. On one of the tougher days, she burned herself out physically and was assigned to escort two other injured teammates to the hospital the following day. Instead of taking care of her sick friends, she was not sure what to do and felt rather useless: her friends were taking very good care of each other.
 
With slight regret, Chen later had another opportunity to prove her worth. The team faced a dilemma in Hubei Province. There had been sudden COVID-19 outbreaks along their planned route. While everyone was struck with disappointment and hastily contemplating whether they should reroute or just stay in Hubei, Chen’s captain then asked her to consider the feasibility of flying into Guiyang and then cycling to Guilin. With careful planning and research, Chen was confident that her route was the best choice. “When I called my captain, he was still in sweet slumber. But he had faith in my recommendation, and our bikes were on their way to Guiyang that very evening. He entrusted me with such an important task and acknowledged my work. That was the most fulfilling and rewarding moment of my trip. I was deeply moved and empowered, and I thought I must carry the torch.” Although the team’s journey towards Guilin was still rather rocky, they still had the privilege to ride alongside breathtaking fields, rivers and the signature karst topography of the region.
 
With love, courage and empathy, Chen Yihang has grown in enthusiasm and maturity as a cyclist, a leader and a person. She enjoys the authenticity and liberty given by cycling, and relishes flowing through cities, streets and its people. Above all, cycling with the association has taught her how to care for others. “I used to be rather self-centered, only focusing on what I could do well. Now I try to delegate some tasks to others, to walk with them to achieve what they thought was impossible, to discover their strengths and talents.” Chen believes she still has much room to learn and grow, but it is certain that her time cycling at Peking University has transcended her beyond her own limits - so much more than she could have imagined when she fell off the bike on that very first day.
 
Chen (left) and friends cycle by the Weiming Lake outside Gymnasium No. 1 (Zhang Daijian)

Written by: Wong Mei Yue
Edited by: Dennis Meng
Interviewed by: Wong Mei Yue, Zhang Daijian
Photos: Courtesy of the interviewee, Zhang Daijian, Xinhua