This Chinese couple have a cool relationship hack that’s gotten them through the worst of arguments. Every time He Ganhui and his girlfriend fight, he works out his emotions with super long biking trips. The farthest Ganhui’s ever cycled is all the way to Africa!
It all started in 2012, when Ganhui was working as a fencing coach in Foshan, China’s Guangdong province. He had a huge row with his girlfriend one day, and was completely pissed off. Not knowing how to deal with the negativity, he simply got on his bike and rode all the way to Beijing – about 2,200 km away.
“I borrowed a bike from a friend,” Ganhui recalled. “I was on impulse and set off for Beijing. I was such a rookie at the time. I even did not know how to deal with a flat tyre.”
When Ganhui’s girlfriend found out what he was doing, she bought a bike and joined him on that trip. Together, they started from Guangdong province, passed through Jiangsu and Zhejiang province, cycled via Shanghai to Hebei, and eventually reached Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Ganhui was filled with admiration for his girlfriend, for enduring the tough ride. “The amazing thing was we never had a single row while we were on the road,” he said.
But the couple ended up arguing bitterly again in 2013. This time, Ganhui decided to cycle all the way to Africa along with a friend. The duo rode through southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality to Tibet, crossed the border to Nepal, and eventually ended up in Kenya.
“When we arrived in Africa, we had no accommodation,” Ganhui said. “I slept in front of a tribal chief’s home. Everyone thought we were very strange, as if we were from another world.”
Ganhui and his friend had plans of continuing their journey, but their bikes and backpacks were stolen while they slept at a hotel in Zambia. Fortunately, the thief left behind their IDs, passports and credit cards, so they were able to get back home after six long months on the road.
Ganhui is now back together with his girlfriend. He’s decided to give cycling a rest for a while and try talking through their issues instead. His girlfriend, on her part, has promised not to yell. “I guess I’ve seen enough of the world now,” he said. “It’s time to try and make things work at home.”
