The road to adventure

Growing trend

In the past several years, the country's RV business has developed rapidly. An increasing number of people with time and money have caught on to the joys of RV vacations.

Yang Xu, a 38-year-old Beijing resident, is one of the growing group. He started his RV trips around China in September 2020.

Before the age of 30, Yang had been devoted to his work, owning a company, and kind of attained "financial freedom".

"I am not a material person. Not happy with my busy life at that time, I made a choice between my career as a businessman and my dream as a traveler. I sold most of my shares to my partner and began a four-month journey in my SUV from Mohe in northernmost China's Heilongjiang province to Tibet," Yang says, adding that the trip has broadened his perspective about life.

The journey planted a seed in Yang's heart-to own an RV and drive around the country. It was realized in August 2020, and his mobile home cost him about 400,000 yuan, including its conversion.

"For long-distance travelers, who go on the road for more than 100 days a year, the RV is an economical option," Yang says.

He says that there is a popular saying among them: "Keep going, you're getting there."

Every month, he flies back to Beijing to reunite with his wife and two daughters. If there is a holiday or school vacation, his family will fly to where he is.

"Before hitting the road, I barely had any time to be with my family, but now, my daughters are proud of their father who keeps traveling," Yang says.

His travel vlogs on Bilibili have attracted about 770,000 followers. A Bilibili user named Mutou comments that most people don't have the courage to get out of the comfort zone. Giving up a stable job, to pursue freedom, can be daunting but once you take the first step, the world will be different.

"No matter what your dream is, once you have the condition, do not hesitate to realize it," Yang says, adding that his next big plan is to drive his RV from Asia to Europe.

There is one group who may feel that their time has come. Those in retirement or approaching it, with a grown-up family, may feel that the golden years present a good opportunity for travel and adventure.

Su Min, a 57-year-old housewife who went viral on social media in 2020 for her solo road trip escaping the family, bought her own RV recently with a loan and support from her daughter.

"In the past, there was nothing that really belongs to me, but now I finally got 'a home' under my name," Su says, trying to hold her tears back.

According to data from 21RV, a domestic business platform providing RV-related news, people aged between 40 and 59 accounted for about 63 percent of the respondents who are interested in RV travel.