A teenager who travelled solo around China on a budget of just 11,500 yuan (US$1,600) has been besieged by sex-for-sale rumours spread by people who refused to accept her success.
The youngster has bravely faced down her critics and won plaudits for her independent and adventurous spirit.
For 35 days, starting last November, Li Yike travelled to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt and Nepal, on a remarkably small budget.
To save money, Li mostly travelled overland or flew with budget airlines, spending just 4,680 yuan (US$648) on transport.
Her accommodation included youth hostels and airport lounges. She ate cheap bread instead of proper meals.
Li decided she wanted see the world “she had only seen in books” during a gap year between dropping out of an international secondary school in eastern China’s Zhejiang province and starting a new school in September.
She created a meticulous itinerary for the small amount of savings she had accrued from pocket money and part-time jobs.
As a way of staying safe from attack by sexual predators during her solo travels, she cut her hair short and wore unisex outfits to look more like a boy.
Li said she has always had an adventurous spirit and had been travelling around China by herself since she was at junior school.
She took her first solo trip abroad last May to Laos, and was stopped by Chinese customs officers because of her age. They eventually let her cross the border after her parents gave permission.
After Li returned home from her recent intrepid travels and shared her experiences online, she faced cyberbullying and sex-for-sale rumours from people who could not believe a young woman could accomplish so much on so little.
Li gave a detailed breakdown of her expenses on her Weibo account, but the attacks did not stop. She said it was a wake-up moment for her when she realised she could not change other people’s views.
Undaunted, Li continued to share her solo travelling experiences after she embarked on another journey, to Pakistan, in April.
The intrepid teen said she felt encouraged after a girl of the same age left a comment saying Li’s journey inspired her to dream big.
Li told the mainland magazine New Weekly that her parents and friends still worry about her safety sometimes, but she told them: “I’d rather be happy than safe, if I had to choose between the two.”
Li believes that, instead of worrying about the safety of women who like to travel alone, the world should focus on “disciplining those who disobey the rules”.
“It is good that young people are stepping out of their comfort zone and exploring the world. It will lead to great accomplishments. However, they also need to learn how to protect themselves and avoid risks,” said one online observer.
