Doudou in front of Dali ancient city in Dali, Yunnan Province, May 8, 2020. (Xinhua)
The trip was not always easy. Sometimes when they were late to arrive at the lodging site, Doudou would get impatient and whine.
Once as they traveled along a steep road in the mountainous area of Yunnan, it started raining. Everything was wet, and Dou had to drag the heavy vehicle while watching for falling stones.
"We trekked all the way up to the village, only to find the inn I found on the internet was not open," he recalled. Luckily, a local Tibetan villager took them in.
"The journey mirrors life. You can succeed eventually if you keep moving ahead," he said.
Every evening when they arrived at an accommodation site, Dou would select, edit and share images on his account on the video-sharing platform Douyin, also known as TikTok, which has drawn nearly 2 million followers.
"On the days without updates because of no internet access, some netizens would leave messages asking us whether we had trouble and to take care."
On the way, they met many cyclists. Some had followed his account online, and many others were strangers.
"Many encouraged us and treated Doudou with snacks, which made her very happy," he said, adding that so many small gifts had filled the trailer that it almost had no room for Doudou to put her feet.
Their journey drew criticism as well. Some people, including their relatives, worried that the young father was unable to take care of the child on the way, while some others said it was improper to take a four-year-old girl to Tibet, a high-altitude region that may sicken the child.
Dou shrugged off the comments as he believed the trip would be beneficial for his daughter's growth. "I want to take her to explore and find out what the world is like. With me being her guide, she will find her own life," he posted on his WeChat account after returning home.
Dou dropped out of college during his sophomore year to start his own business. With the many hardships he has been through, he wanted to educate his daughter in a more open way.
Dou was proud to find Doudou acquired perseverance thanks to the trip.
One day when they went shopping, Doudou helped carry back two giant packs of tissues. Despite being tired, she walked and rested alternately, carrying them home, instead of returning them to her father halfway.
"Look at me, dad. I can make it if I hold on a little longer," Dou remembered his daughter saying with a smile across her face.
