A Shenzhen teacher had ridden more than 13,000 kilometers from Shenzhen to Paris on a bicycle to promote education, the Daily Sunshine reported Saturday.

Lin Mingwei, a teacher at the Bao'an Middle School, rode a bicycle from Shenzhen to Beijing from July 11 to 19 last year with a friend.

Lin was then invited by an American organization to join another five riders from the United States, South Africa and New Zealand for a tour from Beijing to Venice, Italy, along the ancient Silk Road to promote public awareness of the importance of education. Their tour began Sept. 7, 2004.

They passed Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu provinces, and left China from a checkpoint in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"We spent about eight hours on bicycles every day. It was a great challenge to one's physical energy and will," Lin said.

One of the most unforgettable experiences was crossing a mountain more than 3,000 meters above sea level where the average temperature was minus 2 degrees Celsius.

"We encouraged each other in English and finally got through it," he said.

Of the six members, only Lin and one other continued the journey when they left China Oct. 12. The other rider also left the trip in Uzbekistan, but Lin was determined to continue.

"All the loneliness and difficulties were overwhelmed by happiness and sense of achievement when I arrived in a city I had longed to visit," Lin said.

Lin changed the destination from Venice to Paris after he was the only one left on the journey. He arrived in Paris on Dec. 17 last year.

Zhao Jinjun, the Chinese ambassador to Paris, showed great interest in Lin's journey and helped Lin hold two press conferences in Paris.

He was presented to the press conferences as the "pride of the nation," the report said.

Lin had returned to Shenzhen and was preparing for another trip by bicycle in Taiwan, the paper said.

(Shenzhen Daily January 24, 2005)