Then there was the man in Tibet, who had once been a soldier in Shanghai. Three times, the man's family had come up with business ideas and every time, he became a partner in the venture.
In every instance, he was cheated by his relatives and was ultimately forced to declare bankruptcy. Eventually, he was forced to move. With a wife, two kids and 100 RMB, he started a new life in Tibet, and is now a leader in his community.
"I love those kinds of stories," Huang says. "Meeting these people, learning about their lives, their opinions, what they think is important in life – these are the things that made the trip wonderful."
Then, one day in August, it was all over.
"'Now what?' That's all I could think when we got to Lhasa."
Huang spent the next four weeks driving back to Beijing, along the very same route he had just walked. Time had passed and seasons had changed, but it all brought back memories.
"Things looked different, but they felt the same. I looked at those places where I made new friends and thought back on my life and I wanted to do it all again."
With nothing else to look forward to, Huang spent his time in transit planning his group's next big adventure.
"Now we have credibility; we have a reputation. We can get sponsors and attract more people."
Of course, for many people, it will take more than a reputation to convince them to join in, even for those who enjoy simple living and long walks on the beach. Next on the plate – an 8,000 km journey along the China coast. The whole coast. It's an interesting choice of location, since Huang doesn't even like seafood.
The adventure begins in May 2010, in Dandong City in the Liaoning Province. Ten months later, the group will walk into Dongxing City of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It's a trip that will hug the entirety of China's coastline.
So far, five people have committed to the trip, four of whom were on the trip to Tibet. Huang hopes to set off from Dandong with 15. Others are interested, but many are waiting to see what will happen with the courting of sponsors.
"They'll hike if they get paid," Huang says, shaking his head.
He plans to be more selective this time about who joins the group. The Tibet trip taught him about leadership and the delegation of responsibility on a trip like this.
"There are a lot of roles on such a hike. Someone has to control the money. People need to be in charge of cooking, setting up camp, contacting local authorities. I am the leader of the group. I have to pick the best people for these jobs."
As far as physical preparation, Huang says there's no kind of exercise that can really get someone ready for a hike of this distance.
"We exercise regularly, but your body can't get used to that extended exertion. The mind is more important. You need to stay focused, think about your goals and stay committed to the team."
When the hike ends in March of 2011, Huang doesn't know where he'll lead his group next. He just knows he'll keep walking. For some, there isn't a destination, there's just a feeling. And Huang doesn't see a place to stop, just more places to go.
(China.org.cn June 26, 2009)
