YANG ZHJIE: A Chinese wanderlust

 By LB THAPA 

Today I would like to talk with Yang Zhjie, a young Chinese man from Chongqing City, China. If you think he is a sort of celebrity or a Chinese sensational, then you are utterly wrong. He is a common person, one like you and me, but still he is different, and that makes him special in the crowd. 

Yang Zhjie is currently in Pokhara. He has planned to stay in Pokhara for a couple of months before leaving for Malaysia. Yang has already travelled in 13 countries, and he still wants to travel to several other countries in the future. 

Tian Shan Lake, Xin Jiang Province, China

“I am from Chongqing, China. In the Chinese language, Chongqing means ‘double blessed.’ The city is blessed with two important rivers: the Yangtze and the Jialing. An ancient city with rich history, art, culture, and literature, but today Chongqing has been completely transformed into a modern city. Today, Chongqing has emerged as one of the most prominent tourism cities in China. In addition, Chongqing is also a big city. It is 103 times larger than New York and 51 times larger than London," said Yang with a broad smile on his face. 

Hunza, Pakistan

Yang Zhjie was born into a well-to-do family in Chongqing, where his father runs a construction company. Yang had his early education and went to university in Chongqing.   

“Ever since I came to my awareness, my father has been running a construction company. It is being run quite well and doing a good business. I was sent to a good school, and once I completed my schooling, I attended university for higher education. Of course, like many parents, my father too wants me to join him in the business. But I told my father that I wanted to do something that satisfies my interest.". 

Yang with his Pakistani friends.

Yang Zhjie, as a young boy, was bitten by a travel bug, and the effect was apparent. He worked part-time jobs, saved money, and traveled.   

“Without any doubt, money is a very important factor. Especially when you travel, you only spend money. That’s why whenever you want to travel, you must have sufficient money to cover your expenditure. Otherwise, traveling can never be possible. So, if you want to know how I make money to travel. It is very simple. I work part-time jobs, do small businesses, and make small profits, and this way I save money. I don’t bother my parents by asking for money for my travel. I want to arrange my expenditure in my own way. This is my nature. Well, let me add one more thing, and it is that traveling is not my hobby, but it is my passion. I always loved traveling and learning new things wherever I went. I follow my instinct, and I try to do some uncommon things. This is the reason my friends call me a crazy person—I don’t mind, because they are right," chuckles Yang.    

A Pakistan soldier escorts Yang.

By now, as we know, Yang is a crazy man who travels wherever he wants, and he does not mind poking his nose anywhere. This particular trait of his personality has brought him thrills and admiration at times, but sometimes he found his life hanging on a thin line of thread.   

Pakistani armed policemen escort Yang in Peshawar. 

“I wanted to see Myanmar because I had heard many good and bad stories about this country. I wanted to experience myself by going to the country. After landing in Myanmar, I began traveling from one place to another. And as I began moving from one region to another in search of adventure, I started getting heavy doses of adventure. I realized for the first time that Myanmar has countries within the country. I think you did not understand. Well, let me make it clear. Many pocket areas within Myanmar actually deny entry in their areas even after having a valid visa for the country. It sounds a bit bizarre---is not it? They openly said that the visa is issued by the government of Myanmar but not by their government, because that particular territory actually fell under their jurisdiction," said Yang with a big surprise on his face. 

Yang takes a photo with Taliban solder in Afghanistan. 

 Yang’s experience in Myanmar was full of unexpected turns and twists. But I was more eager to know about his experience in Afghanistan. When I requested he spoke about his experience in Afghanistan, he heaved a long breath then released it slowly.   

“I had a truly scary experience in Afghanistan. The Taliban, once a dreaded terrorist group, is now considered a legitimate government of Afghanistan. But I realized they are running the government in their own style based on Islamic Sharia Law. The principle of their system of governance is very much like “eye for an eye” type of justice. Many activities, which are un-Islamic, are not allowed to be practiced in the country. Moreover, I realized that foreigners are still not welcomed by the local people of Afghanistan. 

Finalizing a business deal in UAE.

In Iran. 

In Isfahan, Iran. 

With a taxi driver in Iran. 

Most of them have not received higher education, and the prolonged years of war have made them unable to express kindness. When they looked at me, their eyes were similar to how one might look at a panda—something rare. However, they do not know how to care for the 'panda.' Love and punishment in Afghanistan are mandatory and rigid." 

“I had another terrible experience in Afghanistan when I resorted to leaving Afghanistan for Iran by bus. It was a local Afghanistan express, but only for namesake. The bus was too old, and the passengers carried all their household items with them. Many of them slept on the walking passage. The bus took a 21-hour ride to take us to the international border of Iran."

Yang had a relatively good experience in Iran. The Iranian people were more hospitable and ready to welcome foreigners. He traveled to a few historical places and learned about them. One thing that attracted him in Iran was the low price of bitumen. His business mind immediately swung into action and decided to buy bitumen to sell locally in China.  

"The price of bitumen is quite high in China. I knew how to sell it in China because I learned it from my father’s construction company. After consulting my father for advice, the deal was done, and I paid over $3,500 for 10 tons of bitumen. It took 3 months for the shipment to arrive in China. However, to my bad luck, by the time the bitumen reached China, its price had already plummeted, and I incurred a loss. This way, my reckless business adventure ended up in financial loss," said Yang.

Before coming to Nepal, Yang visited Pakistan. He stayed in some places in Pakistan and enjoyed local cuisine. 

Yang with his girl friend at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

A very talented student in Iran.

“I found Pakistani people in general very kind and ready to welcome foreigners. But I was at the same time advised not to travel without security. I was actually baffled by the advice. I was told that in Balochistan, there was an incident where a vehicle carrying five Chinese engineers was attacked by a human bomb, and none of them survived. These engineers were good people who had come to help Pakistan build roads, enhancing cooperation and friendship between the two countries. However, due to unresolved conflicts of interest between the local armed forces and the central government of Pakistan, they brutally targeted the Chinese nationals. I realized that I should not stay in this country for a long time. I managed to fly to Nepal for the good,” said Yang. 

Yang is very happy in Pokhara. He is moving freely, meeting with the local people, and eating delicious Nepali foods. And he also met with some Chinese people. Living in Pokhara. Most of them are involved in business activities.  

Shipment from Iran to China. 

Attending an exhibition in Iran.

“Living in Pokhara, I feel like I am in my own country. I walk freely, and I can do what I like. I have complete freedom. I have planned to visit some beautiful places in and around the Pokhara Valley. But for the time being, I am busy studying IELTS at Miracle Institute. Once I complete my course, I will visit extensively,” revealed Yang. 

Yang’s plan is to go for higher education abroad. He wants to go to the UK or Ireland for higher studies.  

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