On the wide open roads of America, Yifei Xu conducted an experiment in humanity.

Far from his home in Shanghai, he cycled across the United States for more than four months – enduring rain, rough terrain and uncertainty in a foreign land, all to prove what he believes to be a universal truth.

“I want to show that human nature is good!” Xu said.

The 33-year-old relied solely on the kindness of strangers at every meal, approaching ordinary Americans with the same statement: “Hi, I’m a cyclist from China, can you get me something to eat?”

Xu has previously cycled through Russia, England and France. And while not all of his encounters in the U.S. have been positive, Xu said the vast majority of responses he’s received — in places like Catawissa, Pennsylvania, and Bennington, Nebraska — have proven him right, supporting spirit and keeping him going through endless hours on the road and uncomfortable nights sleeping in his tent.

“To be honest, before I came here, I had a different — and you could even say, slightly negative — perception of America,” Xu said in Mandarin, speaking to NBC News. “But so many people here offered to help me without expecting anything in return and it really impressed me.”

Throughout his journey, Xu shared hours-long meals with dozens of families. And while many people offered him more than food — maybe money or a ride — he said he turned them down both. For Xu, the opportunity to spread goodwill seems to be his only reward.

David Hatker was at home having dinner with his family in Davis, California, when Xu came knocking.

“I feel like I got more than he did,” he said. “I offered him a meal; he’s taught me a huge lesson just about the generosity he’s experienced throughout this journey.”

With relations between the US and China at their most frosty in decades, Xu sees his bike ride as a diplomatic mission, breaking down barriers once at the table.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News: