Young Chinese prefer bus and train for long -distance trips instead of aircraft

Young Chinese prefer bus and train for long -distance trips instead of aircraft

lin en could easily have reached his goal in six hours. Instead, the 23-year-old decided during a trip at the beginning of the year for a bus ride that lasted three days to get from Xinjiang in northwestern China to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. However, there were no amenities such as first -class entertainment on the bus, upscale gastronomy or ergonomically designed seats that would make the trip particularly pleasant. The journey was a real ordeal. The many hours that Lin spent upright led to unbearable back pain, as later in a vlog on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (small red book). Nevertheless, he repeated this type of trip again and again. Last year Lin undertook several similar trips and ran exclusively on extremely long-term bus and train trips to achieve his chosen goals.

The trend of the "Iron Butt" travelers

He is not alone. A growing group of Chinese travelers now turns to extreme transports for their vacation. They call themselves "Iron Butt" travelers inspired by the time they spend on uncomfortable sitting, making their meat feel like metal. This trend is known in Mandarin under the term "tieding" and has already achieved 19.8 million clicks with the hashtag #IRONButttravel. Her motto is: "Those who have iron buttons are the first to enjoy the world." The majority of these travelers are young adventurers, including freshly baked university graduates who have more free time than money. Economic uncertainties such as Chinas Sustainable real estate crisis Consumer demand and high youth unemployment mean that young travelers are more looking for cheap adventures.

budget -friendly trips and local experiences

"The main reason is the budget. Iron Butt Reisen enable me to visit more places for less money," said the 27-year-old Peng Fei, also a self-proclaimed "Iron Butterer, to CNN. Many of these travelers take advantage of the rare opportunities to have fun, try local delicacies during the stopover and to make friends on the way. But first you have to survive the trip.

The challenge of the nightly bus trips

Traveling with overland buses is quite common for backpackers worldwide, but their Chinese counterparts have raised the challenge to a new level. For Lin's trip to Astana, the journey started at 6 a.m. at a bus station in Xinjiang. Apart from a few short breaks, he spent a total of 46 hours on the bus. Every few hours he had the pleasure of stretching his legs when the driver stopped at a rest area so that he and the other passengers could eat something. He also had to sit upright most of the trip. "I couldn't sleep at all because of my back pain, so I stayed awake all night," he reported in his Xiaohongshu video. "The next morning I felt completely exhausted."

an unforgettable travel experience

lin estimates how "down -to -earth" experience can be compared to flying. In this context, “down -to -earth” means to experience a local flair. "Many people choose the bus because it is cheap and many drive to work or relatives," he explained. Lin has undertaken ten Iron Butt-Reisen since the end of last year and spent more than 300 hours on buses and trains. One of the most unforgettable trips was a 20-hour bus ride from the Southwest Chinese city of Kunming to Huay Xai in Laos. At the bus station he met a group of hiking workers who traveled to the golden triangle, a notorious drug trade center where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.

meetings with like -minded people

PENG FEI recently spent 10,000 yuan ($ 1,400) to travel seven countries from Central Asia to Europe. She mostly traveled by bus from Kazakhstan to Türkiye and made stops in Armenia and Georgia. The only flight she booked was from Uzbekistan to the United Arab Emirates, which only cost 300 Yuan ($ 42). Her previous work as a digital marketer was so monotonous that she decided to give up your decent monthly salary in order to find new sense through unforgettable travel. During their trips, the travelers spend many hours together, whereupon conversations are the most natural way to pass the time. Friendships arise in these tight compartments.

"I met a lot of inspiring people," said Peng. "I met many like -minded young people on the trip. Many are students in the Sabbath year or new graduates - both don't have much money. They do not urge themselves to join the world of work or to comply with a social pattern."

"Most of them are eager to explore other opportunities," she added. These encounters inspire you to enjoy the days because she wonders whether she can still keep an Iron butt in older years. "I want to see as much of the world as I can as long as I am young."