Parti de Chine en 2011, Fengyan Du est arrivé en octobre 2013 au Cap, en Afrique du Sud. Un périple initiatique de plus de 35 000 km pour ce jeune informaticien de 27 ans qui a traversé l'Afrique du Nord au Sud à vélo.
La Chinafrique ne se résume pas qu'aux affaires de gros sous, elle peut aussi rimer avec humanisme. C'est ce qu'a prouvé à la force de ses mollets Fengyan Du, un jeune informaticien de 27 ans, qui a réalisé en deux ans un rêve d'enfant : rouler à vélo à travers le continent africain.
Son projet commence en 2009. Fengyan travaille alors à Pékin, et il décide de mettre de l'argent de côté. En deux ans, il parvient à économiser quelque 7 000 dollars. Laissant parents et amis derrière lui, il entame son périple à Nanning (sud-est de la Chine), le 25 août 2011. Depuis, le cycliste a parcouru environ 35 500 km et traversé 22 pays : l'Inde, l'Iran, et puis l'Égypte, le Soudan, l'Éthiopie, la Somalie, le Kenya, le Rwanda, la Tanzanie... Jusqu'à son but, le Cap de Bonne-Espérance, en Afrique du Sud, qu'il a atteint le 10 octobre.
C'est une véritable odyssée qui s'achève. Fengyan bien sûr traversé des paysages grandioses et fait des rencontres inoubliables... mais le voyage n'a pas été de tout repos. Le principal danger ? La route elle-même… "On dirait que chaque jour, j'y risque ma vie", dit ce Jack Kerouac asiatique, qui a bien failli finir son voyage dans le décor une bonne dizaine de fois. Mais il n'a été percuté qu'à une seule occasion, au Vietnam, par une moto qui l'a renversé. Heureusement sans le blesser.
Voir le diaporama du voyage de Fengyan Du :
Hyènes, éléphants, voleurs...
Il y a aussi le risque, lorsqu'on campe en pleine nature, de voir sa tente encerclée par des hyènes ou écrasée par des éléphants. Sans parler des problèmes causés par le brigandage. Mais Fengyan Du a pris le partie d'en rire. Les voleurs, il "les fixe intensément droit dans les yeux et effectue un ou deux tours de kung fu [qu'il pratique depuis 2008, NDLR] pour les faire fuir", plaisante-t-il. Et d'ajouter qu'il a eu la chance, toutefois, "de ne pas tomber sur des coupeurs de route professionnels. Ni sur de véritables tueurs…"
Mais ses plus mauvais souvenirs, ce sont ces moments où, face à des personnes dans une extrême pauvreté, il n'a rien pu faire. Ces enfants éthiopiens à qui il ne pouvait donner d'argent car son budget était trop serré, et qui lui ont jeté des pierres par dépit, étaient de ceux-là.
Fengyan Du préfère se souvenir des êtres généreux et courageux qu'il a croisés en chemin.
Mais le jeune homme n'est pas rancunier et ne se focalise pas sur ses mauvaises expériences. Il préfère se souvenir des êtres généreux et courageux qu'il a croisés en chemin. "Les personnes qui travaillent durement pour réaliser leurs rêves sont les plus intéressantes, dit-il. Comme ces enfants du Somaliland qui étudient dans une cabane faite de feuilles de palmes, mais rêvent de se construire une vraie école."
Cliquer sur la carte du trajet de Fengyan Du pour l'agrandir (compte Gmail requis) :
Son aventure, il voudrait désormais la coucher sur le papier, la transmettre. "Le voyage est comme une sorte d'université, riche en enseignements", explique-t-il. Et de philosopher : "On apprend tout, sur la route. (…) Après avoir croisé toutes ces vies différentes, je peux vivre maintenant la vie pleine de sens à laquelle j'aspirais."
Aujourd'hui, Fengyan profite du Cap avant de rejoindre Johannesburg pour prendre, le 23 octobre, son vol-retour pour la Chine. Avec la promesse de revenir un jour en Afrique. Mais il rêve déjà de nouveaux horizons. Un autre tour en vélo… à travers les Amériques, cette fois.
________
Par Jean-Marcel Maillard et Elena Blum
Lire l'article sur Jeuneafrique.com : Voyage | De la Chine à l'Afrique du Sud, les pérégrinations du cycliste Fengyan Du | Jeuneafrique.com - le premier site d'information et d'actualité sur l'Afrique
视频请点击进入查看
from:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADt-z0ioOAs
发布时间：2012-07-21
I met Du (as we fondly call him) during my stay at Odisha. Incidentally, after having met so many people from so many different countries, I wanted to meet a Chinese guy. And, voila! This guy popped up the next day!
Du is on a mission to cycle his way from Beijing to South Africa. He began his journey somewhere in August 2011 and has been cycling since with more than 25 kgs (around 50 pounds) of luggage which include necessities - 3 cameras, tool kit, first-aid, tent, hammock etc.
He is one of the few souls who give you a lot even without having any basic communication with him. He is a gentle guy and will take care of you without your knowledge (almost like a secret agent :P). I shot this footage during our interactions, mostly on the beach, where he demonstrated some Tai Chi techniques for me.
We did only one interview which you can see as a time lapse between 2:49-2:59. He did have a little difficulty in being articulate but the essence of his communication was always spot on.
What you see here is a speck of his huge journey through my lens.
Some of the shots where he isn't present are the shots that Du himself has shot.
He has been on the road with a little money and a lot of heart and it proves that so many things are 'still' possible. There are many interesting and intense people, doing all kinds of interesting things, but very few get to spend time and know them and see how things could be if everyone opened their eyes without fear.
People can send their good wishes to him on yanchengguke@gmail.com
Music by Amon Tobin - Slowly
来自：http://www.celebrateindia.com/have-you-heard/explore-discover-cycle
How cool is it to ride a bicycle? Would it be safe to presume that it is? Have you ever thought of cycling across the country? Or even across the world? Scott Jeffery and Fengyan Du are cycling across continents on a journey to discover the world as we don’t usually see it. Let’s find out how…
Scott is cycling from Wimbledon, England across Europe, the Middle East, South & South East Asia to the place of his birth in Sydney, Australia. Du began in August 2011, from Nanning city in China, after which he headed for Vietnam and then onto Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia before reaching India. From India he plans to proceed onto Pakistan, Iran, the Middle East and a host of other countries before he reaches his destination ‘The Rainbow Nation’, South Africa.
Both cyclists left their jobs and normal lives behind to tread the unknown with the desire to shake off the suffocating pressure of everyday work and find freedom in a humble bicycle journey. Scott in fact chose to cycle to Australia also to pay respect to his father’s decision to immigrate to Australia and to raise money for the charities, ‘Sustrans’ and the ‘Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia’.
They had physically prepared themselves for the journey and had planned their logistics precisely to the point. However, they would still advice anyone aspiring to follow their example and be prepared for unforeseen hiccups.
Unlike other means of transport, a bicycle is proven to be eco-friendly and an excellent exercise companion. Scott would second the statement by adding, “A bicycle is good for the environment, it’s good for me physically; and it’s a slow means of transport which lets me see things in a lot more detail and depth. And it’s relatively inexpensive, as you would only need to pay for your food and accommodation.”
Travelling on a bicycle also allows you to meet people and experience cultures with a more intimate approach. Scott for instance recounts being through the tiny villages in India and seeing what many tourists would usually not see or experience. He was fascinated by the villagers’ unique curiosity about who he was and of what he was doing there and that curiosity made him feel special about being in India.
But if Scott was to highlight his trip to India that would be the beautiful bond that exists amongst the country’s people when creating and sharing food. He elaborates this by sharing his experience of dining with a family at Mangalore who taught him the art of eating using his fingers before he tackled a delicious piece of fish.
Du, who spends most of his nights in a tent, is also captivated by rural India’s friendliness. He fondly remembers of someone offering him a bottle of Coca-Cola when he couldn’t afford one himself despite longing for one. In fact, Du received tremendous help on the road every-time he’s faced with a problem with his bicycle. And in return Du would gift his saviour a precious memorabilia in the form of a photograph.
Both Du and Scott believe that India’s young and adventurous can certainly explore their country and the world at large on a bicycle. Du encourages the youth to not be afraid and to take some time off their busy lifestyles to discover the world’s beauty and the intricacies of their lives as well. And if you’re wondering of how much it could cost to cycle the length and breadth of India, Du says that a budget of Rs. 10,000 would suffice.
Scott’s advice is to start with small steps before choosing to make giant leaps. He clearly understands that resources are difficult to avail in India, unlike in the west. Hence he suggests aspiring cyclists to prepare and save the money well in advance of the journey. Furthermore, he urges people to meet their fellow citizens in the other states or even in the opposite coast to generate valuable connections before embarking on bigger journeys.
The cyclists may have followed two completely different routes; set their sights on two completely different destinations; yet they met at a point and formed a link – a human link, whereby every unique person connects, shares and lives. It is a chain that joins and propels a bicycle forward; hence it can only be a chain that will join and propel us forward as one.
By,
Manbha Khonglah
