The young man went on a bicycle trip across South Korea.

To mark this amazing milestone at the age of 25, Dang The Bao (25 years old), from Hai Duong province, embarked on a cycling trip across South Korea, proudly displaying the Vietnamese flag atop Mount Hallasan, the country's highest mountain.

Watching the moon hang suspended over Chirisan Hill, welcoming the sunrise, admiring the sunset from the East China Sea, or immersing oneself in the cool early season breeze near the mountains bordering North Korea, along with the salty sea air of Jeju Island – these are the experiences that Dang The Bao excitedly recounts about his 16-day journey cycling over 2,000 km across South Korea.

Portrait of Dang The Bao

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Dang The Bao works at a Volvo-Hyundai joint venture in Busan, South Korea. He'd been dreaming of this cross-country cycling trip since 2021, after seeing a post by a Vietnamese student who had cycled 663 km. He thought, "Why can others do it, but I can't? I have to do it, and even better." From there, he began preparing for his dream journey.

The Bao completed a journey of 633 km along the Han River.

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Instead of using public transportation, this young man chose to cycle daily. Bao recounted, "From home to work is about 6 km, and I considered this a physical preparation step for achieving my dream. I cycled every day for 4 months to stabilize my fitness. After that, my backpacking trip began." In the first 8 days of his journey, Bao completed over 1,300 km, starting from Busan and heading north to Incheon. Then, he continued east in Gangwon Province and on to Pohang, Mungyong, Gunsan, Mokpo, and finally ending in Gwangyang.

The Bao (on the left) meets and interacts with a friend from France.

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Over the following days, Bao continued cycling along the Han River, covering a distance of 663 km. Throughout his journey, he made friends with people he never thought he would meet in his lifetime. Bao shared: "When I arrived in Incheon, I met some Koreans and French people who wondered why I always had a Vietnamese flag hanging on my bike. And I always proudly said, 'I am Vietnamese.'" Cycling across South Korea completely changed Bao's perception of the country. Bao recounted: "Before, I thought South Korea was just a place of skyscrapers and top technology corporations. But cycling across South Korea, I witnessed many different landscapes and beautiful scenery. For example, sunsets over the major rivers, moon-gazing on hills, or pristine beaches… These were all things I had never seen before. It turns out that South Korea is also very poetic and peaceful."

The Bao always carries a Vietnamese flag with him.

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After completing the first two legs of his journey, which took about 12 days, Bao concluded his trip with a 4-day, 3-night trip around Jeju Island. There, he conquered Hallasan Peak (the highest mountain in South Korea). Bao recounted: "When we were nearing the summit, unfortunately, there was a heavy snowstorm. I was soaked and very cold, but luckily I still managed to conquer the mountain and plant the Vietnamese flag at the summit." Bao said that planting the flag was incredibly proud. Initially, he only intended to prove his ability to conquer the highest mountains. But after climbing it, the first thing Bao wanted to do was demonstrate the willpower and resilience of the Vietnamese people. Throughout his trip, Bao experienced a few flat tires and a broken chain due to road conditions, but otherwise, he didn't encounter any dangerous incidents. Bao recounted, "Getting a flat tire wasn't a problem, because the experience I gained from four months of training helped me handle all those situations." During his journey conquering South Korea, Bao was most deeply impressed by the experience of watching the moon rise over the sea. Bao excitedly shared, "After crossing Mount Seoraksan near the North Korean border, I got to see the moon rise from the sea. At that moment, I didn't want to pedal any further; I sat there for quite a while and enjoyed that wonderful feeling."

The Bao also received a certificate of merit after completing the journey.

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For Bao, this trip was an environment to cultivate patience and learn how to balance emotions in life. Bao shared: "Sometimes I face a lot of pressure, so I look for ways to… heal. Cycling is one of the effective ways to do that. Completing a long journey is not easy, but I'm sure it will give you experiences that you can't get just by paying for them."

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chang-trai-di-phuot-xuyen-han-quoc-bang-xe-dap-185240821164827943.htm