Lin En I could have reached my destination in six hours if I had chosen the plane. But, on a trip earlier this year, the 23-year-old preferred a three day bus trip to cross from Xinjiang in northwestern China to Astana, capital of Kazakhstan.
Make no mistake: There was no premium entertainment, first-class meals, or ergonomic seats to make the trip more comfortable.
The journey was exhausting. Lin spent dozens of hours stuck in his seat, which caused him back pain, as he later recounted in a video on the Chinese platform Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).
Still, he continued. Over the past year, Lin has made several similar trips, using only buses and long-distance trains to reach his destinations.
He is not alone. A growing group of Chinese travelers are embracing these extreme modes of transportation on their vacations.
They call themselves “iron travelers,” inspired by the time they spend in uncomfortable seats that make them feel like metal.
Known as “tieding” in Mandarin, the phenomenon has already accumulated 19.8 million views with the hashtag #viajantedeferro. Their motto is: “He who has an iron back enjoys the world first.”
Most of them are young travelers, such as recent graduates, who have more free time than money .
Economic uncertainty, compounded by China’s prolonged housing crisis, weak consumer demand and high youth unemployment rates, make these travelers more inclined to seek out cheap adventures.
“The main reason is the budget. Traveling as an ‘iron butt’ allows me to visit more places for less money,” he said Peng Fei a 27-year-old traveler in the group, at CNN Travel .
These travelers take advantage of their stops to try local foods and make new friends along the way. But first, they need to survive the trip.
Intense experience
Traveling by night bus is common for backpackers around the world, but the Chinese have taken this challenge to another level.
For Lin’s trip to Astana, the journey started at 6am at a bus station in Xinjiang. With few stops, he spent a total of 46 hours on the bus.
Every few hours, he had the “luxury” of stretching his legs when the driver stopped for the passengers to eat. Furthermore, he spent most of the journey with his back straight.
“I couldn’t sleep because of the back pain so I stayed up all night,” he said in his Xiaohongshu video. “The next morning I was completely exhausted.”
“Every minute that passed was torture. I wanted to get there quickly — I was more anxious than the driver!” he recalled.
Towards the end of the trip, he still caught a cold. The experience was so intense that he felt as if he had been standing the entire time.
“When I got off the bus, it felt like I had been standing all my life and only then was I able to sit down,” he commented.
This, however, does not mean that he and his “iron” colleagues need to give up fun.
“Down to earth” experience
Lin likes the “down to earth” way travel provides, he told CNN Travel . In the Chinese sense, “down to earth” means a connection to the place.
“Many people choose the bus because it is cheap and many are going to work or visiting family,” he explained.
“I learned a lot of interesting stories along the way — about culture, family or how people make a living — everything is super engaging,” said Lin, who has already taken 10 train trips since last year, accumulating more than 300 hours on buses and trains.
One of his most memorable experiences was a 20 hour bus trip from Kunming in southwest China to Huay Xai in Laos.
Upon arriving at the terminal, he found migrant workers who were on their way to the Golden Triangle, a region known for drug trafficking, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.
Many said they were going in search of work due to a lack of options. “I asked if they were afraid. But they responded that they needed to support their family,” he recalled. “My heart sank.”
Many of these bus and train routes, especially in China, have a practical purpose. They offer affordable options for workers in megacities like Beijing and Shanghai to visit their families in their hometowns.
These people often don’t choose to travel this way because they want to follow a trend. They do this because they cannot afford flights or high-speed trains. opting for affordable alternatives that require more time on the road, despite only a few days of vacation per year.
Now, however, travelers are redefining — or perhaps making more sophisticated — this way of traveling.
During a 53-hour train journey from Guangzhou to Lhasa earlier this year, Lin was able to see the vast Tibetan Plateau, Gobi Desert and majestic mountain ranges up close.
“You can see so much more on the road — things you just can’t see from a plane,” he said.
Chance to expand connections
Recently, Peng Fei spent 10,000 yuan (R$7,992) to travel across seven countries, from parts of Central Asia to Europe.
She traveled from Kazakhstan to Turkey mainly by bus, stopping in Armenia and Georgia along the way. The only flight he took was from Uzbekistan to the United Arab Emirates, which cost just 300 yuan (R$239.78).
In her previous job as a digital marketing specialist, the routine was so monotonous that she decided to give up her reasonable salary to seek out new experiences through memorable trips.
During these journeys, travelers spend dozens of hours sitting side by side. Talking is the most natural way to spend time, and in these limited compartments, friendships form and flourish.
Peng said he met many inspiring people. “I met many young people with the same spirit on the road. Many are gap-year students or recent graduates — both with little money. They are not in a rush to enter the job market or fit into social molds,” she told CNN Travel from Egypt, where he is now.
“Most of them want to explore other possibilities,” he said.
These people inspire her to enjoy the moment, as she doubts whether she will be able to keep up as she grows older: “I want to see as much of the world as I can while I’m young.”
Goofy’s Plane arrives in the skies of Brazil in partnership with Disney
The post “Iron travelers”: Chinese exchange planes for long bus and train journeys appeared first on CNN Brasil V&G.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
