Chinese traveler now in Brazil in quest for world record

After driving over 250 thousand km and visiting 72 countries across four continents, Chinese adventurer Fan Yuhu, 45, is now in Brazil for another stage of a long trip started in August 2013 in Shanghai. The traveler seeks a place in the Guinness World Records for the longest solo global trip on land.

Like some sort of reverse Marco Polo—the famous Venetian explorer who set out on a long journey from Europe to China in the Middle Ages—Fan Yuhu left his country to travel the world all by himself on a Ford wagon and embark on a series of adventures facing a plethora of adversities along the way.

He said he kicked off with just 600 dollars in this pocket, and set out to traverse Asia, Europe, and Africa, from which he placed his car aboard a container headed for the American continent. Yuhu describes himself as a lucky man, as a number of fellow countrymen offered him support by giving him money, food, and lodging. “I’m really thankful to everybody,” he said.

In a conversation with Agência Brasil, he said he is very close to getting himself a spot in the Guinness World Records, which should take place next year, when he plans to tour “Oceania, going through Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, and several other countries.”

“I hope to end the trip in 2020 and return to my native China with the world record for my long solo global trip, after seven years on the road,” Yuhu said.

Technology and difficulties

The achievements of the dauntless Chinese traveler is made all the more impressive by the fact that he had never been abroad before starting the trip and that he does not speak any language other than Chinese. To make up for that he resorts to technology, and asked our reporter a question in his language using a smartphone app to translate the sentence into Portuguese.

Fan Yuhu left his country to travel the world all by himself on a Ford wagon - Cortesia Xinhua/ Zhou Xingzhu/Direitos Reservados

However, to get the interview going, Agência Brasil was assisted by Zhou Xingzhu, a young journalist with Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua, who served as interpreter.

When asked about the country he liked the most so far, he did not hesitate: “the US, where gas is cheap, landscapes are beautiful, and it’s safe.” On the worst experiences he has faced, he mentioned he caught malaria in Africa, and was mugged in Angola and South Africa. He also said he was hassled in Nigeria by the police, who asked for bribe. “I didn’t give them any,” he revealed, smiling proudly. This is why spending eight months driving through 25 countries in Africa was the toughest part of the trip, he confided.

As for Brazil, where he arrived from Uruguay and Argentina, he said he really liked the landscapes and exuberant nature, but confessed he felt unsafe in certain places. In Brasília he has the support of the Chinese embassy, which made contact with the press possible.

A lot of support, little comfort

Wherever he goes, Yuhu’s wagon draws the attention of onlookers. All covered with stickers, his car has on it a number of sentences about his trip in several languages—among which “I’m fun,” a play on words with his own name, and a statement saying he is on the lookout for a wife. “Yes, I’m looking for someone to be my wife and come live with me in China,” said Yuhu, who remains single up to this point.

Fan Yuhu was born in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, in China, and has worked in Shanghai as video and film producer - Augusto Queiroz/Agência Brasil

He invited our reporter to have a look at his car, a medium-sized wagon with a Chinese license plate. The vehicle is no short of awe-inspiring, as, despite being a spacious van, the car does not seem to have ever been specially adapted for long-distance and exhaustive trips.

The lack of comfort is clear to be seen: the vehicle still has two seat rows in the back, and Yuhu said he sleeps on the floor behind the driver’s seat. Organization is also lacking—clothes are seen scattered here and there on seats, and a large supply of mineral water bottles.

Chinese “Forrest Gump”

Fan Yuhu was born in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, in China, and has worked in Shanghai as video and film producer. One of this purposes with the trip is to make a documentary. Up to this point, his video recordings add up to over 10 thousand hours.

The idea is to unveil a Chinese version of the Hollywood classic Forrest Gump with his own experiences during the trip. “I want to be the first individual traveler to successfully complete the journey on a van through five continents during three years in a row,” he said.