(Ecns.cn)--A man who walked all the way from Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, to Qinggang County in Heilongjiang Province to buy donkeys was spotted on a viaduct in Nanjing last week, according to the Yangtze Evening Post.
He and his donkey, which was wearing a trainer on one of it hoofs, had walked about 2,200 kilometers for five months to get there. According to Zhuang, the right rear hoof of the donkey had been injured on an asphalt road.
The 34-year-old man had been a stone hauler in Huzhou and thought a strong donkey would help ease his work, so he set off in July and traveled northward, passing by Xi'an and Beijing before finding what he wanted in Qinggang County. There he bought a 4-year-old donkey for 2,200 yuan($338) and an 8-year-old donkey, which was pregnant, for 2,000 yuan($307).
A group of police officers intercepted Zhuang while he was walking along a national highway in Liaoning Province. They suspected him of stealing the two donkeys, so Zhuang had to take a train back to Qinggang County to get a receipt to prove his innocence. After that, he decided to travel only at night to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Zhuang believed it would be an easy journey back to Huzhou, but the pregnant donkey became too weak to continue once they arrived in Tianjin. Zhuang had no choice but to sell it to a local taxi driver for 1,555 yuan.
So far he has spent over 10,000 yuan on the trip, most of which goes to the countless pairs of shoes he has worn out.
Many people have suggested that Zhuang should sell the donkey, but he has refused. He said he couldn't have stuck the journey out without the company of his "mate."
Zhuang still has more than 200 kilometers to go before he reaches his destination in Huzhou. He estimates that this part can be finished in about a week if he walks 30 kilometers a day. That will allow him to get back to his hometown in Jiangxi Province to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his family.
