Dad takes 4-year-old son on 14-day rollerblading trip to show him life's tough

A different kind of road trip.
 By 
Alicia Tan
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

You can always count on dad to show you the ways of life.

39-year-old truck driver Zhang Junguang, from Henan, China, decided that the only way to educate his four-year-old son on the hardships of life was to take him on an epic rollerblade trip from their central Chinese hometown up north to Beijing.

The trip lasted 14 days and covered a distance of 540 kilometres, reported People's Daily.


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With only a backpack carrying their daily necessities and rollerblades on their feet, father and son embarked on the journey starting at Puyang City in Henan on Mar. 22 and ending at the historical site, Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Apr. 4.

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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

According to Next Shark, Zhang used the China National Highway 106 route to reach their destination and would take hourly breaks to rest and refuel.

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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The duo stayed on in Beijing for another eight days to visit several of the capital city's landmarks before returning home by train.

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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

During the trip, Zhang took over 600 photos and posted some of them on his Weibo account, which drew interest from Chinese netizens.

Some Weibo users have questioned his parental decision to take his son on such a gruelling road trip, but Zhang assured them that his son's health was fine throughout.

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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Zhang also told reporters that his son was proud to have completed the trip with his father and that it helped him understand the concept of persistence and hard work.

According to Zhang, he plans to take his son on at least one such trip on an annual basis. Qingdao is their next stop during the summer holidays.

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Alicia Tan

Alicia Tan was an Asia Deputy Editor at Mashable. She has over 11 years of experience in journalism, magazine production and content publishing; specialising in women's lifestyle, fashion and beauty. When she's not writing, she's obsessing over Totoro, Ryan Gosling and online shopping.

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