From Nanjing to Urumqi: Japanese Student's Cold Winter Journey Through Chinese Hearts

A Japanese young man hitchhiked 4,000km from Nanjing to Urumqi in 30 days. In a social experiment, 17 drivers initially agreed to take him; only one refused upon learning his nationality (94.1% acceptance). He experienced Chinese New Year’s familial warmth and met a driver who admitted disliking Japan yet helped him, stating: "Aiding others is my habit." Crossing deserts and -20°C plateaus, he concluded: "This wasn’t hitchhiking—it was traversing the fabric of a nation." (Photo/ChinaYouth Daily)

By Li Yuanyuan, Jiang Xinyi(intern) /China Youth Daily