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Pedaling Tibet
By Yu Wenjie (shanghai daily)
Updated: 2006-10-10 09:13





Chen Afu (right), together with three other elderly cycliing enthusiasts,
tours Lhasa, their first stop in Tibet.
"Life has never before been so rich and colorful," says 71-year-old Chen
Afu who bicycled to Tibet as an unofficial Shanghai ambassador. In youth
he was too busy, but in retirement he can realize his dreams, writes Yu
Wenjie.

What does a man in his 70s usually do? Most would say he sits in the
shade, playing mah-jong or whiling away the time chitchatting. But
idleness is not for Chen Afu, who rode hundreds of kilometers to Tibet in
May.

A wiry, sun-darkened man, Chen's room, however, is illuminated with
hundreds of photographs he took during his bicycle journeys - his latest
was to Tibet.

Chen, a 71-year-old Shanghai native and a member of the Pudong Bicycle
Touring Association, has visited 22 provinces and regions by bicycle,
covering more than 50,000 kilometers since he retired eight years ago.

In mid-May, Chen, together with three other association members, set out
from Shanghai and rode to Tibet. Because of the vast distance, they took
the train from Shanghai to Xining in Qinghai Province, then cycled
forward to Tibet. They came back at the end of June.

"I could hardly recognize him at first sight when he came home, he was
extremely black and thin," recalls Chen's wife.

"Look, we finally arrived at the destination - the big camp of Mt
Qomolangma (Everest)," says Chen, pointing to a picture. "We were really
excited and totally forgot the fatigue and discomfort of the altitude.
With Mt Everest as the background, this picture shows that we four old
men finally achieved the goal. It's memorable."

Besides riding a bicycle, Chen also loves taking pictures. Wherever he
goes, he takes his Nikon camera. The golden peak of Everest is one of his
favorites - he was helped by a herdsman.

After pitching camp for the day, Chen came across a herdsman driving
yaks. He told the old man there was a marvelous scene of Everest at
sunset.

Despite exhaustion, Chen rushed to climb to the site to shoot. The scene
was stunning: Everything was enveloped in darkness except the peak of the
mountain that was crowned by the last ray of sunlight. Chen captured the
glorious moment.

"My photos not only help me to record memorable times but also enable me
to communicate with local people," says Chen. "Our first stop in Tibet
was Lhasa. Local people showed great interest in Shanghai, but I couldn't
talk with them due to language obstacles. Luckily, I took a photo album
of Shanghai with me. Pictures instead of words described modern Shanghai
and introduced the 2010 World Expo."

Chen has taken his Shanghai photo album to many places during his bike
trips. "I hope to do something for my beloved city - Shanghai. This album
is a good way to make Shanghai widely known," he adds.

Before every bicycle trip, Chen spends almost two months doing research.
Although the Internet is widely used, Chen prefers the old-fashioned way.
He reads travel books carefully, draws a map and plans the route by
himself. When he returns, he classifies his photos and writes down his
thoughts and feelings - time-consuming work.

Chen also has a hobby - writing a poem for every picture he's taken. The
poems, usually consisting of four sentences, reflect his passion for his
late years.

"Life has never before been so rich and colorful to me. When I was young,
I was so busy that I hardly had time to appreciate the beautiful scenery
of our country," says Chen. "Money was a problem, but now I have enough
time to realize my dream."

"He spends almost all his pension on bicycle traveling," his wife adds.

In addition, Chen holds solo photo exhibitions about his trips in the
community.

"I'd like to share my exciting experience with other people, especially
with those who are retired. Some of them may not have the chance to go
out and see different places due to health problems," he says. "I hope my
descriptions can help them imagine and enjoy my travels."

For more information about Tibet travel, please click .
















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