In Shuozhou of Shanxi province, a high school teacher named Lan Huiyun led his graduates to ride "for the horizon". They even become a trenching hashtag on Sina, China’s top social media. At 9 p.m. on June 25, they rode to Nanjing.

Lan decided to slow down and spent the morning taking the students to visit the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. They had a moment of silence, presented flowers to the victims and had a special history lesson.

"Add A Weight to the Coming-of-Age Ceremony"

It was drizzling in Nanjing on June 26. At 7 o 'clock in the morning, Lan and the students departed from the hotel and arrived at the entrance of the memorial hall at 8 o 'clock. Their uniform cycling clothes attracted our attention and then we interviewed them.

In front of the national memorial cauldron, they presented flowers and bowed to the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

The memorial hall was the first stop on their trip in Nanjing. LAN said the memorial was an important stop on their trip. "I want to add something heavy to the children's coming-of-age ceremony, and I have always felt that all young people in China should not miss this lesson."

"Acknowledge history, respect history, remember history, and then move on." LAN wrote on his weibo after the visit.

"Hone Your Will with A Bike Ride"

On June 12, four days after the national college entrance examination, LAN led 11 high school graduates to ride from Shuozhou to Shanghai, covering a total distance of more than 1,800 kilometers.

This was the promise that LAN made in class. He began preparations months in advance, and his final route was to travel from Shanxi province south to Henan province, then east through Anhui and Jiangsu Province into Shanghai.

More importantly, the route crosses China's most famous rivers, the Yellow and the Yangtze River, as well as the Huai River, which separates North China from the south. On the way, as a geography teacher, LAN had been giving lectures in real places.

On June 28, after 24 punctured tires and 17 days of trekking, the teacher and his students rode to Shanghai through five provinces and covered a distance of more than 1,800 kilometers.

On June 27, near the Tai Lake, LAN posted a long article on his weibo. He wrote: "Why do we travel? Realize a small dream, practice the courage to run away, and meet the unknown. Hone your will by riding."