MANITOULIN—Chen Guan Ming may be a Chinese farmer from the Tong Shan district of Xu Zhou City, in the eastern part of the world’s most populous nation, but he is anything but ‘simple.’ When he first learned that China had been awarded the 2008 Olympics, the doughty farmer was so proud he decked out his ancient rickshaw (a pedal-driven cart) and set off to visit each and every Chinese city, bringing the Olympic message with him on signs bedecking his rickshaw in both Chinese and English.
In 2010, Mr. Ming pedaled across 18 countries to arrive in London, England for the 2012 Olympics. Now, Mr. Ming is headed across the breadth and depth of North America, eventually planning to make a left turn at the Pacific Ocean to head south to the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A number of Island residents noticed Mr. Ming as he made his way up Highway 6 from the Chi-Cheemaun ferry landing in South Baymouth and called or dropped by The Expositor office to alert the paper to his presence. Alas, Mr. Chen does not speak English, so communication was limited to a picture and exchange of business cards—but a quick Google search of his name turned up the fact that the intrepid farmer from eastern China is nothing short of a global celebrity, thanks in part to his epic journey across the globe, but even more so for his embodiment of the Olympic Spirit and the joy he inspires in all those that have been touched by his remarkable story.
Following his being tweeted by The Expositor to our followers, phone calls began arriving with questions about how he was doing.
“I am really concerned,” said David Schram of Meaford when he called the paper after seeing that Mr. Ming had arrived on Manitoulin. “He had a paper with him when I met him that showed Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie on it. I hope he doesn’t turn the wrong way and lose a lot of time. It is a long way down to Rio.”
Mr. Schram need not have worried; Mr. Ming has been reported in the Blind River area, making his determined way across the North.
Mr. Schram supplied The Expositor with a plethora of links to articles about the rickshaw peddler and his exploits. One article from the BBC in England documents traffic snarls that ensued from Mr. Chen’s trundle up the M-series highways. Perhaps that experience led the seasoned traveller to avoid Ontario’s 400 series highway, opting for the run up the Bruce Peninsula and Highway 6 instead.
It is clear from some of the links and stories posted online that Mr. Ming is acting as an unofficial ambassador for Canada as well. Since he set out from Halifax earlier this year, he has been experiencing this nation from the ground up in a way that very few Canadians, let alone Chinese, could ever imagine, discovering the compassion and generosity of our nation and heartfelt concern of people like Mr. Schram.
Mr. Chen is financing his journey across the globe with his own resources, but there have been several corporate and private sponsors that have assisted in moving his venerable rickshaw across large bodies of water.
