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Yifei Xu, a 33-year-old man from Shanghai, completed a four-month bicycle journey across the United States, relying entirely on the generosity of strangers for food and shelter. Xu, who began his journey in New Jersey, sought to prove the inherent goodness of humanity depending on the goodness of ordinary Americans.

• A journey of goodness: Xu’s journey, inspired by a desire to challenge his own preconceptions about America, took him through various landscapes and communities. He carried a tent to sleep in and refused any offers of money or transport, accepting only occasional food and shelter. He engaged with countless people, sharing meals and stories with those who offered him help. Although he encountered some negative experiences, Xu shared them NBC Bay Area that the overwhelming majority of his interactions were positive. He recounted a particularly poignant encounter in Norfolk, Nebraska, where an initially suspicious landowner eventually offered him food and shelter after learning of his journey. “To be honest, before I came here, I had a different — and you could even say, slightly negative — perception of America,” Xu told NBC. “But so many people here offered to help me without expecting anything in return and it really impressed me.”

• The human connection: Xu, who had previously embarked on similar journeys through Russia, England and France, chose to forgo modern conveniences such as sunscreen, believing they hindered his ability to connect with others. Xu said he plans to continue his journey with future trips planned to Australia and Japan before returning to Shanghai. He plans to document his experiences in a book to inspire others with his message that compassion, rather than evil, is inherently human. “How can we not be touched by the warmth of the world in the goodness of human nature? I’m not proclaiming anything, I’m stating a fact,” he told the Norfolk Daily News.

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