Meet This 69-Year-Old Man Living His Retirement Dream, Travelling Across China With His Paralyzed Wife

A 69-year-old Chinese man has spent years travelling across China with his partially paralysed wife. Their campervan journey reflects companionship, resilience and a shared retirement dream.

Most people would consider retirement to be a period of relative peace and quiet, but for Liu Peijin and his wife, it marked the start of a truly amazing adventure of traveling throughout China. The 69-year-old from Weifang in Shandong has been travelling around the country with his partially paralyzed wife for almost ten years, opting for the adventurous life rather than spending their last years constantly visiting the hospital.

A Change of Plans

Liu Peijin and his wife had known each other since they were in primary school, and they had always dreamt of traveling around China after their retirement. Their plans have been altered drastically because his wife became partially paralyzed due to diabetes complications back in 2010.

Despite several hospital visits which didn't yield the desired result, they decided not to let their lives revolve only around the treatment and fulfilled their dream of going on a trip around China. Their adventure started in 2014 when they traveled across Jiangsu and Zhejiang in a regular car.

Travel Became Part of Their Life

Their choice made their daughter very concerned because she was afraid that travels might be dangerous for the health of their mother. But Liu slowly began to see some changes that motivated him to keep going. Out of the hospital atmosphere, Liu realized that his wife seemed to become more active and interested in everything around.

With each new travel, Liu bought a campervan which made traveling easier. It has two beds, air conditioning, sink and a dining table; thus, the couple can combine traveling with their daily life.

Since his wife does not feel anything on the left side of her body, Liu is responsible for taking care of her. He takes care of her medicines, exercises, food, driving and all other daily things. Teasingly talking about his functions, Liu calls himself the family driver, cook, doctor, nurse and carer.

Journey Made Special by Generosity

The journey has also exposed them to people who are ready to help. It is said that in Fujian, locals helped the couple when their car got into trouble due to the challenging terrain. In Hubei, people at a tourist spot helped Liu’s wife climb into a ride.

A person running a hair salon is also said to refuse to accept any payment after listening to their story. The journey has come to mean so much more than just moving from one place to another to Liu and his wife.