This October, Qin Xu, a young man from Tangyin County, Henan Province, embarked on a solo cycling journey spanning 1,890 kilometers. Riding south from his hometown, he reached Guangzhou in 18 days to attend the Youth Theater Festival. As a graduate student of dramatic arts who transitioned from a philosophy background, Qin chose this unique way to commemorate his play Oedipus X being shortlisted for the festival. He also saw the ride as a means to gather life experiences and inspire his creative process.

Qin's passion for cycling began during the summer break of his freshman year. Over a month, he cycled to explore cultural landmarks in his hometown, including the Yue Fei Temple and Youli City. "Cycling allowed me to feel the history beneath my feet and gave me a chance to connect with the ancients," he said. While studying for his bachelor's degree, Qin often biked across Guangzhou's districts, using shared bicycles to measure the city's expanse. He frequently recorded his cycling experiences on Douban,a community website for content sharing, referring to Guangzhou as his "second home".

This time, Qin's journey from Henan Province to Guangzhou was not only for the theater festival but also to immerse himself in life and spark creative inspiration. He said that every person he met and every story he encountered on the road is more real than imagination at a desk. "It inspires countless plot ideas and hones my scriptwriting skills."

After the festival, Qin plans to return to Nanjing to continue his master's studies while refining a script related to the Yue Fei Temple. During his journey, he discovered many relics tied to Yue Fei, such as a statue of Yue Fei at Wuhan's Yellow Crane Tower, deepening his appreciation for his hometown's cultural influence. "My elementary school was next to the Yue Fei Temple, and Yue Fei was my first hero, even though my surname is Qin," Qin joked.

Source: Lingnan on the Cloud

骑行1890公里的追梦人

今年10月，河南汤阴县年轻人秦旭独自骑行1890公里，从家乡一路南下广州，历时18天到广州参加大学生戏剧节。作为从哲学专业“三跨”考入戏剧艺术硕士的学生，他用这种特别的方式纪念自己的戏剧作品《俄狄浦斯·X》入围戏剧节，同时将骑行视为搜集生活素材、融入创作的一种独特方式。

秦旭的骑行热爱始于大一暑假。他用一个月时间骑行探访岳飞庙、羑里城等家乡汤阴县的文化古迹。他说：“骑行让我感受到脚下土地的历史，与古人仿佛有了对话的机会。”大学期间，他骑行广州各区，用共享单车丈量这座城市，并多次在豆瓣记录自己的骑行感悟，称广州为他的“第二故乡”。

这次从河南骑行至广州，秦旭不仅为戏剧节而来，更是希望通过旅程融入生活，激发创作灵感。他表示，骑行中遇到的每个人、每段故事，都比书桌前的遐想更真实。“这让我产生无数剧情猜测，锻炼了剧本创作的能力。”

戏剧节结束后，秦旭将返回南京继续攻读硕士学位，并打磨一个与岳飞庙相关的剧本。他在旅途中发现了许多与岳飞相关的遗迹，比如武汉黄鹤楼里的岳飞雕像，让他对家乡文化的影响力有了新认识。“我的小学就在岳飞庙隔壁，岳飞是我生平崇拜的第一个英雄，虽然我姓秦。”秦旭调侃道。

文、图｜记者 贺全胜
译｜邹晓华
英文审校｜洪婷