News Report Around 1 a.m. on August 17, under the streetlights of Changsha South Station, three long shadows were cast. Wu Guang, carrying a backpack weighing over 20 kilograms, along with his 10-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son, had just completed a 31-day, over 800-kilometer walking journey. Not far away, the headlights of a car suddenly turned on. Their mother, who had been waiting for over seven hours, rushed over with a bouquet of flowers and embraced the children tightly. In that moment, tears of joy washed away the hardships of the past 31 days.
This experience gradually spread online, with many netizens moved by Wu Guang’s approach, leaving comments such as: “This is the best education for children’s growth,” and “800 kilometers of footprints are more effective than preaching.”
On the Road: Hardships and Warmth
On July 17, Wu Guang set out with his children from Bao’an. Walking 800 kilometers over a month was the challenge Wu Guang had set for his two children.
There were many difficult stretches. In the Qingyuan section, they followed their navigation into a mountain path barely wide enough for one car. By 9 p.m., they were still trapped in the mountains. It took them over three hours to safely follow the navigation out of the mountain path.
From Qingyuan to Shaoguan, they encountered a typhoon along one section of the road. For safety, Wu Guang and the children hitchhiked for part of the way. “My daughter couldn’t let it go, considering it ‘cheating.’ When she found out I was going to be interviewed, she reminded me to mention this,” Wu Guang said with a laugh. This insistence showed how seriously his daughter took the journey.
There was also warmth along the way. After the rain, the rainbow the father and children saw was like a reward, and the docile yellow cattle on the grassland were a delightful surprise… “The children would always stop to call their mom immediately when they encountered these beautiful moments, sharing their discoveries,” Wu Guang said with a smile, noting that they made seven or eight calls a day, each filled with something new.
▲ During the walking journey.
Growth: Truly Understanding the Children
What moved Wu Guang even more were the changes in his children: from walking 8 kilometers a day to gradually covering 18 and then 20 kilometers, their adaptability far exceeded expectations. Their shoulders also grew “tougher”—initially, they would toss their backbags after just a few steps, but later, no matter how tired they were, they wouldn’t let go.
Wu Guang appointed the children as “financial managers,” letting them handle their daily expenses: no more than 450 yuan in Guangdong and no more than 400 yuan in Hunan. If they overspent, they had to use their New Year’s money to cover it; any savings would go to the children. In Hengyang, faced with a room rate of 108 yuan and only 87 yuan left, his son, with his sister, bargained with the owner for 20 minutes and eventually settled on 80 yuan. “Once they had a goal, they found ways to achieve it, and they felt a great sense of accomplishment afterward,” Wu Guang said欣慰ly.
At 9 p.m. on August 16, they safely arrived in Changsha. They were still ten kilometers away from their final destination, Changsha South Station. They walked these last ten kilometers without stopping, step by step. “There were so many touching moments along the way,” Wu Guang shared. His son, who used to throw tantrums if he didn’t get a toy he wanted at the supermarket, now considers whether there’s something similar at home and decides not to buy it if it’s not necessary. “Some lessons can’t be taught just by talking; they need to experience them to understand.”
This journey also gave Wu Guang a new understanding of the meaning of “companionship.” “I used to think that being with them every day was enough, but now I realize that companionship isn’t just about being together physically—it’s about truly understanding what’s in their
