It takes 71 days, 226 bus changes through 5,345 stops in over 100 cities for one to travel from Macao to Beijing by bus. These specific numbers, unveiled by Liu Huaqiang, have attracted widespread attention as part of his "Bus Tour of China" initiative.

Liu Huaqiang, a 32-year-old Internet entrepreneur, gained popularity through his exploration of bus travel in China. Since 2020, he has been releasing bus transfer plans of routes like Shanghai to Beijing, Shanghai to Dalian, and Hangzhou to Xi'an, earning him the title of the "pathfinder" for bus touring in China.

In 2020, one of Liu's fellow villagers travelled from their hometown to visit him in Chengdu. The usual round-trip fare for a coach ticket was 33 yuan, but this time, the villager spent 6 yuan to travel by bus. It was the price difference that inspired Liu to initiate the "Bus Tour of China".

After carefully crafting a bus transfer plan from Shanghai to Beijing, Liu embarked on his journey from Shanghai to Dalian to verify the feasibility of the plan. In the videos Liu shared, there are vibrant and clean bus stations in bustling cities, and also scenes of him waiting at a dusty rural crossroad, accompanied by simple bus signs, sparse population, occasionally passing flock of sheep and the farmland stretching beyond.

The popularity of "Bus Tour of China" was also accompanied by criticism. Some comments argued that it was unnecessary to spend several days on buses when a high-speed train could complete the journey in just an hour, not to mention the daily expenses on meals and accommodation that otherwise could have been avoided.

However, the "Bus Tour of China" has different meanings for Liu. Once at 3 am, he boarded the only overnight bus in operation in Chengdu: the Night Line No.9, and was joined by a designated driver during his live streaming, when he thought that he would be the only passenger at the station.

As Night Bus No.9 headed towards its final destination, there were few vehicles and pedestrians along the way. But gradually, Liu witnessed people finishing their night shifts, breakfast carts preparing for the opening, joggers starting to run, and cargo trucks bustling with loading activities. The number of viewers on his livestream started to grow, with over 400 viewers expressing their desire to accompany Liu until the final station.

On the expansive and diverse land of China, countless events unfold simultaneously each day, with numerous lives leading their own distinct stories. By traveling through China on buses, Liu seized the opportunity to observe the wonders of the country while enjoying the tranquility of slow-paced bus rides.

As the routes, place names and local customs start to come alive in Liu's eyes, his motivation extends beyond the mere verification of transfer plans; he aims to explore a rich variety of landscapes.

After three years, Liu has successfully proved the feasibility of travelling through China by bus, which also reflects the progress made in rural infrastructure development and regional integration in our country. Liu remarked, "In perhaps a decade, when the national bus transportation network is connected and integrated through the country, traveling all across China by bus might no longer seem extraordinary to the public."

Source：Yangcheng Evening News

71天，100多个城市，226次换乘，中国小伙坐公交车从澳门到北京

乘坐公交车，从澳门出发，一路向北抵达北京，需要花71天，换乘226趟公交车，途经100多个城市、5345个站台。这是刘华强发布的公交游中国路线中最引人关注的一条。

刘华强，今年32岁，是一名互联网创业青年，他因公交游中国而火，从2020年起，刘华强陆续发布从上海到北京、上海到大连、杭州到西安等行程的公交换乘路线图，他也因此被称为公交游中国的“探路者”之一。

2020年，刘华强有个老乡从老家到成都找他，素日往返两地的客运大巴票价33元，但两地开通了公交线路，这一回，老乡只花了6元，坐着公交车就来了。这种差价启发了他“公交游中国”的念头。

刘华强梳理出从上海到北京的公交换乘路线图。为了验证路线的可行性，刘华强正式踏上“公交游中国”的旅程，从上海出发，去往大连。在刘华强发布的视频里，不仅能看到繁华都市里亮丽干净的公交站台，也能经常看到他在某个乡村的路口等待，黄土路，简陋的站牌，人烟寥寥，偶尔一群小羊路过，再远点就是农田。

坐公交游中国，火了，但也有不少非议。有些评论认为，只需要花一个小时搭乘动车的行程，偏要花三四天搭乘公交，不值得；而刘华强一路出行，即使搭乘票价低廉的公交车，每天加上食宿，可能也要两三百块钱，划不来。

然而，在刘华强看来，并非这样衡量“坐公交游中国”的意义。在凌晨三点的成都，他搭上了成都唯一一辆通宵运营的公交车：夜间9路。刘华强开着直播，以为起点站只有自己的时候，一个代驾小哥骑着自行车赶上了这班车。

夜间9路向终点站开去，一路上车辆行人寥寥无几，随着车往前开，他看到半夜才下班的人，看到凌晨出摊的早餐车，看到晨跑的人，看到开始忙碌装货的货车，直播间的人越来越多，“400多个人说要陪我坐到终点。”

在疆土辽阔、地大物博的这片土地上，每天有万千种事情在同时发生，有亿万生灵各自生活。搭着公交车游中国，更是坐在慢悠悠的公交车上，好好看一看中国。

路线、地名、风土人情，经由公交游，逐渐鲜活起来。这时，刘华强不单只是为了验证路线可行性而搭公交车了，他还想更多体验各色风景。

三年下来，刘华强已验证了“公交游中国”的可行性，背后也反映出了我国在乡村基础设施建设以及区域一体化发展方面所作出的努力。“可能十年以后，坐公交游遍中国大家已经不觉得是一个稀奇的事情了，因为全国的公交交通脉络基本上都通了，都串连起来了。”刘华强说。

文｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 谢小婉
翻译｜洪婷
图｜受访者供图
责编 | 王瑜瑛
校对 | 周勇