介绍:
Xu Chenghua is a full-time traveler. He has a nickname called Lao Ji.
Lao Ji has an unusual profession of being a professional world traveler, but he is also an ordinary dad who showers his baby with great fatherly love.
Lao Ji recalls his reaction to the birth of his son.
"I had an idea at the moment when my son was born; I would capture every moment deemed meaningful including his crying, laughing, tumbling and running. I also wish my recording would begin from just two days after his birth, until the time when he enters adulthood and gets married. Then I will give these memento tapes as a gift to him."
Lao Ji named his son Simba, who is the main protagonist of The Lion King. Lao Ji wishes his son would have the same level of bravery, wisdom and also strong constitution as this fictional character.
His wife, who has a lovely nickname: "piggy", is his loyal travel companion. Then when their son turned two years old in November 2014, the professional traveler led his family of three to kick off a journey to the North Pole. Lao Ji explains their findings during the trip.
"During our family travel around the world, we've encountered a number of parents who took their children on trips with them. I also used my video recording a pair of parents who were putting their three-and-half year old kid into a rear seat of the bicycle to travel around, which I think is a lot more difficult than what we did. Travelling with kids has become a common culture nowadays that also gradually impacted our Chinese parents. Three or four years ago, the kid-friendly family vacation used to be a rare thing in China, but in recent years, it became increasingly popular."
One of the things that a professional traveler would tend to do alongside traveling is updating their travel blog on the road. Lao Ji has always been in high key to update his chatterbox, or Wechat's official blog.
Those vivid pictures he posted in his chatterbox have deeply impressed one of Lao Ji's friends on Wechat. Liu Hang is the Deputy Director of program department of The Travel Channel.
"I was deeply moved as soon as I looked at the images he shared with other WeChatters, especially the pictures in which his family of three is riding a motorcycle on their journey. A lot of people would only talk about such a dream, but few have made it true."
Starting from China, Lao Ji's family had traveled across the world on a three-wheeled motorcycle, from Laos to Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
Although he hoped he could film every precious moment for his son, Lao Ji admitted he hadn't had any plan to shoot a documentary.
"I was the least ready for shooting a documentary about our family vacation. During our tour to the first three to four countries, all my recording devices included no more than an Apple iPhone 5s and a GoPro camera. Thus, I want to tell viewers: this is not a TV reality show, but a dad's observation detailing his little boy's growth as well as a feel of the world of nature through a kid's eyes. There's neither a film director nor any artificial gaiety in the documentary. This film comprises all our true stories."
Before the family finally arrived in the Arctic, they have traveled a total of 13 countries, but among which Sri Lanka is a turning point.
With a team of professionals from the Travel Channel joining their filming there, a documentary TV series about how a father has been providing his child with rich education through hands-on contact with the world of nature, entered into production.
Liu Hang explains.
"As I contacted him with much excitement via Wechat, he had returned to Sri Lanka. He agreed on my proposal of sending two journalists to Sri Lanka, where they spent a week together and conducted interviews. After I watched the video clips that my journalists took back to China, finding what Lao Ji had filmed during the journey, I made a decision immediately that we shall follow them along in their journey."
Tasting foreign foods, hearing different languages and visiting homes in other countries can be an eye-opening experience for either a child or an adult.
But Lao Ji thinks the benefit of taking a toddler to travel faraway from home is more than this.
"If I was asked to summarize the gain from this trip, it may include my son becoming healthier and happier though his skin got a lot darker. Travel gives my family a more positive outlook on life. I dislike those who take a long journey to escape from the reality they feel hard to face with. Traveling would reinvigorate people to enjoy their life more and with a positive mental attitude."
The 15-episode TV documentary series, Wild Education or Bie Jiao Wo Bao Bei in Chinese (别叫我宝贝) debuted recently on the Travel Channel.
Lao Ji has promised that his family will embark on more journeys and audiences could expect more documentaries about their exciting adventures in the future.
For Studio Plus, I'm XU Fei.
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