Singapore To Beijing On A Bike

Knapsack Treks Book Review by Chan Joon Yee

Singapore To Beijing On A Bike by Khoo Swee Chiow

Singapore’s best known adventurer is at it again. This time, he’s not climbing a big peak, going to the Poles or staying submerged to break some world record. He’s cycling more than 8000km from Singapore to Beijing. According to Khoo, the idea was hatched when he was joining a group of cyclists on a 10-day ride in Malaysia to raise funds for a project. Since then, he had been contemplating the possibility of cycling all the way from Singapore to Beijing.
Then, one of his major projects - to sail around the world non-stop, came to a halt when his main sponsor pulled out. SARS hit Singapore and Khoo faced a lawsuit for failing to complete the purchase of the boat which he had intended to sail in. Depressed, Khoo managed to focus on something positive. That bike ride to Beijing.

With the SARS pandemic coming to an end and the eagerness of various parties to sponsor the event to put all the finger-pointing between China and Singapore behind them, Khoo planned his trip meticulously. He found a partner Amos who would support him on a 4WD. Then, his wife got pregnant, but she didn’t stop him from going on the trip. She only made him promise to be back to witness the birth of their second child, thus setting a time limit for his trip.

What follows is an on-the-road, every few days account of the journey. Starting at Suntec City, Khoo made it to KL on the 4th day and conveniently stopped over to autograph his books. Crossing the border into Thailand on the 9th day, Khoo broke the 1000km mark on his bike. On Day 17, he arrived at the capital. His wife was there to greet him. Khoo then pedalled northeast towards Isaan and the Lao border in Nong Khai.

Khoo crossed the border into Laos on Day 25. His route cut through a thin strip of Laos to enter Vietnam on Day 28. That was where Vietnamese red tape separated him from his partner, Amos. They managed to “enter the Dragon” on Day 34.

Then, it’s more pedalling into Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian, Khoo’s ancestral home. Khoo went in search of his roots, got reunited with his relatives, stayed briefly in Yongchun and off he went again, reaching Shanghai on Day 59. By then, winter was approaching, Khoo struggled with the freezing cold. Crisis struck in Tianjin on Day 71 when the 4WD died on them. It only had 150km to go. Reluctantly, they abandoned the 4WD and let Amos and their liason officer, Shino travel into Beijing on a taxi. The next crisis to hit them was a serious case of food poisoning. Khoo prayed hard and forced himself to complete the final leg of the trip.

He made it into Beijing on Day 73. He received a hero’s welcome, appeared in the local papers and quickly flew back to see his wife.

I think Khoo accomplished a remarkable feat by cycling more than 8000km to Beijing. However, the story itself is not remarkable because it’s basically a touch and go experience. Frankly, I did not follow Khoo’s progress when his trip was ongoing in 2003. If I had, the breaking news would have been interesting. I only saw this book in the stores in 2007. In this form, the story is somewhat mundane as the subject is not timeless. It would have been a far better read if Khoo didn’t have the time limit that forced him to zip through places like Laos. But what is more ironic is that the traveller who goes to these places on motor transport would have seen and experienced a lot more in these countries given more than 70 days to explore them. It’s an impressive feat, but the story lacks depth.