‘He has a naughty streak’: Chinese man travelling from Europe to Asia on horseback says animal tries to run off with other horses every day
- Xu Zhixian is travelling all the way from Europe to his home in Central China, moving just 30 kilometres a day in a journey across two continents
- He had previously only ridden a horse once, and had to spend three months learning to ride before starting the journey
International travel is nothing new in an age of relatively affordable air travel, but imagine journeying all the way from Europe to China on horseback.
It’s a reality for Xu Zhixian, 32, from Heze in Shandong province, eastern China, who began his intercontinental journey earlier this year and which he documents in regular video posts to the delight of his social media followers.
Starting at Lalin in Spain on February 20, Xu has already reached the Netherlands, a journey of more than 2,500 kilometres so far.
“I told my family I wanted to ride on horseback to China, but they didn’t believe me until I bought a horse and started my journey,” Xu told Ziniu News.
Xu spent 13 years studying and working in Italy and Norway, and said he has visited almost every country in Europe. He said the idea of riding a horse to China just “popped up” in his head for no apparent reason while he was travelling.
