LOS ANGELES, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese travelers have arrived in Los Angeles in their effort to "explore the world" by driving through more than 20 countries from China.
The "explore the world" event is sponsored by Dongfeng Passenger Vehicle Company in China.
"I feel proud to be a Chinese driving a China made car to explore the world," said Yu Xiaofeng who drove a Dongfe ng S30 all the way to Los Angeles from Mexico City.
Before Yu and his group, no other China made cars have ever been driven on the freeways in the United States. "I am proud of the Chinese made Dongfeng car," Yu told a group of reporters in a hotel close to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Monday, adding that he has experienced no mechanical problems from Mexico City to the U.S.
With the English sign of "Explore the World", two Dongfeng cars have met no trouble all the way from Texas to Phoenix, from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas and from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
"Those cars have proved to be as good as other cars running on the freeways in the U.S. and other countries," said Yu, adding that some times he has to drive over 1,000 kilometers a day under poor weather conditions, and sometimes on very bad road conditions in countries such as Kazakhstan.
The only trouble he had was in Kazakhstan when he had flat tires on both sides at night because of the poor road condition.
Yu and his group of seven started from Shanghai, China and went all the way to Kazakhstan, Russia, Poland, Germany, Italy, France, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico before arriving in the U.S.
While driving most of the time, they also took commercial airplanes from South Africa to Australia and from Europe to Mexico. Their two Dongfeng cars were air shipped along with them, which costs them more money than to buy several new cars, Yu said.
The seven of them started from May 15 this year and have driven through about 50 cities: Shanghai, Suzhou, Urumqi, Khorgos, Alma- Ata, Karaganda, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Moscow, Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Venice, Milan, Turin, Paris, Bordeaux, Spain, Barcelona, Melbourne, Brisbane, St.Paul, Buenos Aires before they arrived in the U.S.
They will leave Los Angeles for Korea Tuesday and finally complete their "Explore the World" event in China.
Not all the seven travelers completed the whole trip, but Cui Like, Shen Zijong and Liu Haiqiang will accompany Yu Xiaofeng in the final trip.
Yu said South Africa left him a very good impression in terms of landscapes, but rampant crimes there made them vigilant all the time. Except Mr. Cui, who has been to the U.S. before, it is the first time for the other three in the group to visit the U.S.
While enjoying the sceneries on the trip, they also met people. Asked about their impression on the U.S., Yu said: "I am confused to tell who are Americans and who are not Americans."
He said the United States is really a small United Nation with so many ethnic groups. Here he could see people from almost all over the world.
"The people I met on the road are very nice to us and very friendly," Yu said.
Yu and his group drove to Houston to watch an NBA basketball game played by Yao Ming. They even drove to the Gulf of Mexico to see whether the oil spill had any impact on the beaches there.
The seven travelers are volunteers who love to explore the world. "I am glad I have finally realized my dream," said 27-year old Mr. Shen, the youngest in the group. "I have much to see and much to learn everyday," he added.
