(ECNS) -- A road trip by two foreign travelers who recently took a taxi from south China's Hainan Province to Harbin in the country's far northeast, nearly 4,000 kilometers away, has gone viral on social media, unfolding like a real-life drama series.
The journey also brought unexpected fame to their Hainan-based driver, surnamed Luo, whom they booked through a ride-hailing app. As of Tuesday, the trip had concluded, and Luo returned to Haikou City in Hainan Province.
One of the two foreign travelers is Raz Galor, better known by his Chinese name Gao Yousi. Reports say Gao was born in Israel in 1994. He is the founder of YChina and a graduate at Peking University. The other traveler, Xiao Weihong, is from France.
In their videos, Gao and Xiao show themselves using a ride-hailing app to search for a driver willing to take them from Hainan to Harbin. They were turned down repeatedly, as many drivers were astonished by the idea, until Luo finally accepted the order.
The three set off from Haikou, crossed the Qiongzhou Strait by ferry to Xuwen Port in Guangdong Province, and then continued to Guilin City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where they visited Yangshuo County, known for its dramatic karst mountain scenery.
Partway through the trip, their vehicle broke down in Guilin. The group then rented another car and resumed the journey, traveling through Yueyang in Hunan Province, Kaifeng in Henan Province, Beijing, and Shenyang in Liaoning Province, before finally arriving at Harbin Ice and Snow World in Heilongjiang Province.
Before setting out, the two foreign travelers advanced 15,000 yuan (about $ 2170.5) to Luo and promised to cover all expenses along the way.
A review of Luo's WeChat Moments shows the group left Hainan on January 19 and arrived in Harbin on January 23. Throughout the journey, Luo posted multiple updates each day.
On January 24, as he prepared to return to Hainan, Luo shared a post expressing his gratitude to the two foreign friends, saying they had given him "too many firsts" in life. These included his first time seeing the landscapes of the Yangtze River, tasting Changsha's stinky tofu, visiting Beijing, seeing Tiananmen Square in person, and even seeing snow. He also frequently called his family to share his excitement.
According to a member of the business team representing the two travelers, the trip has now concluded, and both travelers are currently in Milan, Italy.
(By Gong Weiwei)
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