The digital odometer of my bicycle showed I had cycled 5610 km. This is the result of my six months’ traveling from July 2008 to January 2009. I looked back upon my travel in China before entering Vietnam and thought about the pathway I had run and what I had learned during the travel.

When I climbed to the top of Mt. Baekdu in the Chinese northeastern district, I thought of the present and future of my country. Also, I could find traces of ancestors who lived under Japan’s colonial rule from 1910-1945. I could also look back on the old days of my country when I met Joseon tribes who are Korean like me but who have different nationality. They treated me like their family and cheered me when I was in difficulties. This experience made me throw away my old and bad prejudice against them.

Through my travel in China, I could also dismiss my old prejudice that China is a dirty and unkind nation. In China, many Chinese people received me with warm hands, and they became my friends. They are the same people as me and have warm affection. When I had mental and physical trouble because of unexpected accidents, I received warm affection and new courage from many Chinese people, so I could start my journey again.
After finishing my twenty days’ bicycle travel in China, I arrived in Dongxing in China, a city near Vietnam. Tomorrow, I am going to visit Vietnam, which is the second part of my journey. Someone said, “The end is a new beginning.” However, I feel a little inconvenient leaving China and encountering a new country. On the other hand, I feel my heart pounding with new challenges and expectation of a new journey. What waits for me in Vietnam?

I am continuously updating my travel story through the Web site http://www.samilee.net to share my travel experiences with many people. When I take a rest, I read my story. It makes me think of my journey and makes me happy. I hope you enjoy my travel story like me.



● The Gazette will continue to follow Lee Young-keun's interesting travel experiences in our newspaper. We hope you enjoy these articles.