Flying solo , an Uyghur man's inland tour

Dulkun on the road [infzm.com]

A 31-year-old Uyghur man from Xinjiang completed a solo bicycle and motorcycle ride through eight provinces in 10 months to promote the belief that all ethnic groups should live in peace and harmony, Southern Weekly reported.

Dulkun Tunu Ganjiang lives in a remote village of Yining County, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. His determination to travel was due to a painful experience in the past.

Dulkun used to run a mutton shashlik business in Zhangye of Gansu Province. In 2005, he committed a crime while drunk and was sentenced to seven years in prison. In 2012, he was released upon completion of his sentence and subsequently returned home. By then, he had descended into utter disgrace with both his pockets empty.

"With a bad reputation, I was cold-shouldered by the villagers. All my old friends steered clear of me," he recalled. He tried to resume his old trade, but no bank would grant him a loan because of his criminal record.

Dulkun was in low spirits at that time. He needed to really do something to prove he was still a good person at heart. A cycling enthusiast, he decided to travel around the country all by himself. Surprisingly, the local government gave him some strong backing.

A grand see-off was organized on May 22, 2013, inside a local primary school presided over by Parr Hati, secretary of the Yining County youth league committee.

Dulkun was entrusted with a special mission -- to make Xinjiang known among people everywhere he went and encourage the belief that all ethnic groups should live in peace and harmony.

"Wherever you arrive, try to find the local youth league committees for help. Ask them to put an official seal on your route record book," he was told.

The Yining County government provided him with a national flag, sportswear, T-shirt, shoes, medicine and some funds. The local police station issued a special ID.

In the first month, Dulkun rode his bicycle along the edge of the Taklimakan Desert. He would ride it through the dark of night and rested by day due to the searing heat.

On July 11, Dulkun arrived in Ruoqiang County, his last stop in Xinjiang itself. The local government hosted a big welcoming ceremony for him and helped make his future travel plans.

Crossing the Qaidam Basin, Dulkun arrived in Golmud, Qinghai Province. Then, he went southward. Crossing over the Tanggula Mountain Pass brought him to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

On Aug. 4, Dulkun arrived in Lhasa where he encountered his first batch of trouble. He was stopped by local police at night and questioned about his ID and luggage.

He had to call in help from his hometown. Thanks to Hati's explanation to the police, Dulkun could finally continue his journey. Since then, whenever he encountered trouble, he would call Hati for help.

In late August, Dulkun arrived in Kunming, Yunnan Province. He ran into his fellow townsman Ma Zhongyi, a noodle shop owner who had been living in the city for 10 years. Ma entertained Dulkun hospitably. Consequently, he made his way north, up to Sichuan Province.

In early 2014, Dulkun arrived in Guizhou Province. There, he helped solve a dispute between local Han and Uyghur people. An Uyghur peddler had sold a fake mobile phone to a Han. Realizing he had been cheated, the young man stabbed the vendor with a knife.

Dulkun took two days to settle the dispute. He suggested a compensation which was finally accepted by both sides. Local police awarded Dulkun with 5,000 yuan to fund his travels.