70 Days Walking the World Alone

Author: Jiang Yanan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: The Origin of Global Travel in Childhood
Global travel was a childhood dream of Jiang Yanan. "At that time, I didn’t even know how big the Earth was or what proportion of it was land and what proportion was ocean." Between 1993 and 2001, he worked as a teacher, a logging construction officer, a salesman, a department manager, and even started his own technology company. However, until September 2001, when he went to the UK to study, he experienced countless hardships and changes. Yet, his dream of traveling around the world not only did not fade but "became stronger." Another important reason that motivated Jiang Yanan to embark on a global journey was his desire to compare China with other countries around the world. He has studied three majors: Chinese literature in college, business administration in graduate school, and political science in his current doctoral program. This allows him to make comprehensive comparisons from cultural, political, and economic perspectives, and he "hopes to summarize something beneficial for the country and nation."
A 9-Trip, 70-Day Global Journey
Jiang Yanan’s global journey began on May 22, 2003, and ended on April 22, 2004, lasting nearly a year. The "70 days" in his proposed "70-day global tour" were actually the cumulative time of nine intermittent trips. The specific travel dates were determined by the entry and exit dates of visas for each journey. His solo global travels were not scheduled during school holidays but during class time. Moreover, that year, he was exactly finishing his Master’s in Business Administration and starting his doctoral program in Political Science. In other words, during the two periods before and after his global tour, he underwent an interesting "identity" transformation.
Carrying Nothing but a Backpack Except for Sleep
Jiang Yanan’s travel gear was extremely simple: a single backpack for school use throughout the journey, some essentials, and a set of spare clothes. His outerwear and shoes were "whatever you wear out, you wear back." But books were , and a journey without books was dull for Jiang Yanan. His backpack was always with him, except when sleeping, and he was always prepared to leave and never return. He believed this was very important during the trip. Additionally, he had many "stubborn" travel rules, such as never booking accommodation or transportation in advance, eating at cheap but clean restaurants, taking only public buses or walking, and never joining tour groups. He jokingly said his hair was "ruined" because of this, but more often, he remained immersed in his "humanistic travel" style.
Love for Argentina
Among the places he visited in just one year, Jiang Yanan had a special fondness for Argentina in South America. There, he saw the presidential palace without walls, blending in with ordinary residential buildings. The president or lawmakers could simply open any window to greet passersby. At night, the May Independence Square became a paradise for the homeless. They set up sleeping bags, lit bonfires, and, after eating and drinking, lay down on the ground. Whether it was the president, commoners, merchants, the homeless, or beggars, everyone lived harmoniously together. He even bought an Argentine flag as a souvenir.
Self-Describing as a "Chinese Global Traveler"
"I am the only Chinese person who has traveled to all seven continents and four oceans." When speaking to reporters, Jiang Yanan said this with great confidence. In his view, "traveling around the world" should not be a simple "seeing and playing" but should include deeper observation, reflection, and summary. He believed many people misunderstood the meaning of "traveling around the world." Some claimed to have traveled around the world after visiting only three or five continents, while others liked to combine North and South America into one continent—America. Some only reached the edge of a continent or an ocean without actually stepping onto the land. He even pointed out that in Jules Verne’s famous science fiction novel Around the World in Eighty Days, the protagonist Phileas Fogg and his servant Passepartout only visited Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America, not South America or Oceania, let alone the North and South Poles. Therefore, when designing his global route, Jiang Yanan paid close attention. Not only did he include all 24 countries and regions, nearly 60 cities across the seven continents and four oceans, but he also incorporated two regions not part of the seven continents or four oceans—Arctic and the Middle East—into his itinerary.

2003522-529 North America – Canada
2003726-86 Europe – UK, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands
20031020-1030 Africa – Morocco
20031115-1122 Africa – Kenya, Tanzania
2004131-24 Europe – Norway, Sweden, Arctic
200426-223 South America, Antarctica – Argentina, Antarctica
2004321-324 Asia – Philippines
2004324-331 Oceania – Papua New Guinea
2004414-422 Asia – Israel, Palestine, Jordan