Sharing everyday stories

Throughout their journey, the two hikers have documented daily life through short videos and photos, sharing them on Instagram, Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, and Douyin. The goal, they emphasize, is not to simplify China, but to show its complexity.

"We want to give access to the real, everyday China," says Rene. "The small stories, like how we find food, how we talk to people, what surprises us."

As they prepared to leave Lanzhou and head toward Shaanxi province, anticipation was building. "We know Xi'an is one of China's great ancient capitals," says Michel."We're excited to experience that history ourselves."

From there, they will continue east toward Shanghai, their final walking destination. After reaching Shanghai, they plan to travel to more cities by high-speed railway and plane.

"We came to China because we knew very little," says Michel. "Now we want to share what we've learned — that China is diverse, complex, and full of good people."

For them, slow travel offers a more sustainable and meaningful way to understand the world. "What we want to say is that things are more complex than we are used to thinking, and that there are many ways of seeing the world," says Michel."Chinese culture is very different from European and French culture, and that difference helps us reflect on our own culture."