Exchange student’s 6,800-mile drive from China to Durham

An exchange student who drove 6,800 miles (11,000 km) to get to university in the UK says his journey has inspired others to do the same.

Yukun Tao travelled across nine countries from his home city of Nanjing, near Shanghai in China, to Durham by car last September.

The 26-day trip took Mr Tao through China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands.

His parents had spent months “trying to stop me from this crazy plan”, he said.

“Everything was unknown,” Mr Tao said.

“I had not been to the other countries yet. I had not been abroad for about 10 years before this journey.

“It really needs some spirit, some bravery to set off, because you’re facing a world with everything unknown, everything uncertain.”

Mr Tao is now preparing for his return home in May and hopes to drive back via Denmark, Norway and Finland.

The 20-year-old, who studies at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, spent about six months preparing for his journey.

He said he chose Durham because he could do a full academic year, rather than one semester, but also because of the college system.

“I think it’s quite similar to Harry Potter’s college so I finally chose Durham University,” Mr Tao said.

He decided to drive over after hearing someone else had done that but also wanted to bring his mountain bike.

“For my parents, I think they would worry more than feeling proud,” Mr Tao said.

“They spent about two or three months trying to stop me from this crazy plan.”

The journey was not without its hurdles.

Mr Tao set off on 1 September and, as he approached China’s border with Kazakhstan, he started having trouble with his car’s engine.

Due to restrictions on exiting China, he needed to leave the country on 8 September or he would not be able to continue the trip.

It meant he had about two days to fix the car and set off again. A friend managed to get him an appointment in the area and “a large problem” with the car’s engine was found.

“Usually, fixing it would take over a week,” Mr Tao said.

“But the engineers worked around the clock to help me get it back up and running.”

College principals and the chair of the Student Union welcomed Mr Tao when he reached Josephine Butler College on 26 September.

“I was very surprised and moved,” he said.

It took him about two weeks to get used to UK roundabouts and driving on the left-hand side of the road. He has since been on road trips to the Highlands and London and hopes to visit Wales before driving back to his hometown.

Mr Tao said his adventure had motivated one of his flatmates, who is also Chinese, to attempt the same trip.

“He got moved with my spirit – my experience – and he plans to drive his car to Durham and take the same route.”