Forty thousand kilometers is not far away. Come and have a cup of coffee together.

Recently, a cool orange coffee truck became popular on Douyin. The owner of the car is Wang Fangshu, a young man who loves traveling and coffee. He has modified three coffee cars, which he calls 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 respectively. So far, Ashu has driven "Road Coffee" 3.0 on the Sichuan-Tibet Line and Qinghai-Tibet Line twice, stopping and going, completing a 40,000-kilometer journey spanning more than half of China.

The beautiful holy Lake Manasarovar, the eternal Guge Dynasty and the orange "road coffee" appear together in Ashu's videos, which often attract more than a million views and more than a thousand comments. . Many netizens were moved by the true record of Ashu walking on the road, saw his persistence and bravery, and affectionately called him "Brother Ashu".

I had a bad start and almost gave up

Fortunately, I really like it

A Shu, who was born in the 1970s, was born in Guangzhou. Before traveling in a coffee truck, he He is a barista with eight years of experience and once served as a store manager for a well-known chain coffee brand. In his memory, “falling in love with coffee started from the first sip.”

Ashu grew up in a relatively relaxed family environment. "Just do it as long as you are happy" was the mentality of his parents and family towards his growth. Over time, a seed of yearning for freedom was planted in his heart. After staying in the coffee shop for a long time, Ashu gradually lost interest in the "screw" work at the bar day after day, and was eager to do what he liked.

Later, Ashu and two other partners combined their usual hobby of tinkering with modified cars and came up with the idea of ??selling coffee while traveling. He decisively resigned from his job. "At that time, I thought, if I had a car and could make coffee in the car, I would be more free."

In 2016, Ashu modified the first car The coffee truck is named "Coffee". From choosing a car model to customizing the coffee table in the car, plus modifying water and electricity, adding solar lines, etc., it is not easy to sort out these complicated things one by one, and wait until the actual On the road, I didn't expect to encounter trouble. "At that time, coffee culture was not so popular, and people would think you were special." The business was not as smooth as expected. Whenever I stopped at a place, "as soon as I opened the car door, someone would come over and chase you away."

Later, due to traffic regulations, the first modified 1.0 "Kaxing" did not realize real long-distance travel. That was also a difficult period for Ashu to start a business. "There was no profit for half a year, and the pressure was extremely high." Soon after, the two original partners quit, and he sold the coffee shop after announcing the dissolution.

After thinking about it again, Ashu, who likes coffee, modified cars, and travel even more, decided to continue along this path, "I really like it and don't want to give up. ".

Falling in love, getting lost, being in danger

Being treated gently along the way

After owning the 2.0 version of "Highway Coffee", Ashu couldn't wait to drive it to From a distance, he recalled with a smile the first time he walked away with his wife. "I didn't even make a plan, and I was unfamiliar with the road conditions."

Ashu and his wife also met through "Road Coffee". Once, he just drove the 2.0 to a square, got out of the car and was starting the coffee machine to prepare, when a girl came over and asked him curiously, "What are you doing?" The two chatted for a few words, and added WeChat messages before leaving. Later, when Ashu looked at the girl's Moments, he couldn't help but think, "Hey, that's not bad." From then on, he would pay attention to the girl and get to know her better. So, two people who like a free lifestyle held hands, traveled together and drank coffee together.

There is almost no plan for every walk they take. Even if the navigation takes the wrong path, Ashu will feel that "just go the wrong way, maybe you will encounter unexpected surprises." Just like when they went to Haixi No. 66 internet celebrity highway, they mistakenly entered the foot of the snow-capped mountains, so they looked up at the clouds for a long time and "invited the passing uncles to drink a cup of coffee."

The first experience in Tibet left a deep impression on Ashu. He still remembered that it was past 12 o'clock in the morning when they entered the Garze border. It was extremely cold and they searched for a long time but could not find a place to stay. At that time, they met an old man who enthusiastically showed them the way to the B&B. He also helped him check the condition of the car and warned him that it was already over 20 degrees below zero at that time. In such cold weather, the car must be protected. He also helped him add antifreeze for use in extremely cold weather, and "has been working outside for more than an hour." Ashu was particularly touched, "Because we came from Guangzhou, it was our first time in Tibet, and our first time encountering such cold weather, we didn't know it would snow and hail. The old man helped us check the car and told us What kind of refrigerant should be used, and how to protect the tires..."

What Ashu felt deeply was that a dangerous experience not long afterward allowed him to increase his driving experience. He remembered that they had entered the territory of Ganzi at that time. After dinner that day, they planned to drive for another hour or two to the next place to stay. Unexpectedly, half way through the drive, it started to snow heavily, and soon there was thick snow on the road. It was night, and we couldn't see the situation below, but we were winding up the mountain and could feel that we were already on a very high mountain, so we had no choice but to drive up.

After turning a corner, a section of the mountain road suddenly became very steep, and the car suddenly skidded. Ashu tried his best to control the sliding car. He stopped and took a look. There were no guardrails on that winding mountain road and there was a cliff next to it. The next day when I went down the mountain, I turned back and walked the winding mountain road again. Thinking of last night's experience, Ashu got goosebumps. "I was very scared." From then on, he would drive more cautiously, check the condition of the car before departure, repeatedly confirm the navigation route, and no longer rush on the road unexpectedly.

What Ashu felt the most along the way was the kindness of the local people. He remembered that when he arrived in Litang, he was warmly invited by the host to drink milk tea at his home. That was also the first time he walked into the home of a Tibetan compatriot. "Their family of six or seven lived in a wooden house they built by themselves, which was probably less than ten square meters, and there was no bed in the sleeping area." To this day, Ashu still has an unforgettable memory, "It is different from the butter tea I drink in some of the more commercial places in the area. The butter tea made at home by Tibetans is stronger, and I like the unique taste better." To his surprise, after he returned to Guangzhou, “the Tibetan uncle discovered my Douyin, and we added WeChat in excitement.”

Walking alone, being watched, and delivering coffee

Sharing and hugging are the best memories

In 2019, the third generation road coffee truck 3.0 has just completed the modification and After getting the license plate, Ashu couldn't wait to drive on the road. He started from Guangzhou and lasted two years, passing through Yangshuo in Guangxi, Duyun in Guiyang, and Chongqing, arriving in Lhasa, and then returned to Guangzhou via Xining, Chengdu, and Lijiang.

During this 20,000 kilometers, he drove the 3.0 version of "Highway Coffee" to travel and share coffee along the way. Version 3.0 is an orange coffee cart, which is particularly eye-catching when traveling through the sparsely populated wilderness. The roof of the car carries luggage and a retro bicycle. In addition to coffee equipment, there are also road skateboards, Marshall retro stereos, guitars, and books. Ashu said that these are his spiritual food along the way.

What makes Ashu particularly sigh is that only after you really go out, you will deeply realize how big China is. "And when you leave the first-tier cities, you will find that there are actually many people who have never drank coffee. ". He was deeply impressed. On the way to Seda, he saw a particularly beautiful scenery. When he stopped to admire the scenery, he was surrounded by Tibetan brothers riding motorcycles. “They came around to look at the coffee equipment on the car. , and then an old man not far away saw the Tibetan brother watching, and came over curiously to see what kind of car it was. The old man was hard of hearing, so he came closer to look at the coffee cart, and kept shaking it in his hand. Turning the prayer wheel." Ashu treated them to hand-brewed coffee, allowing them to experience the special taste of coffee.

Ashu had an obvious experience. Except for the more prosperous places like Lhasa, many local residents he met along the way had never drank coffee. Ashu gave them coffee and showed them the coffee beans. The locals were often surprised, "Hey, these are coffee beans, black." They will also feel surprised when they drink coffee, and their expressions are often "painful". The most common thing they say is, "Oh, it's so bitter."

With previous experience on the road, Ashu has equipped the 3.0 with more advanced and complete equipment. "We have all the necessary equipment. We have two refrigerators and ice machines." He first brings enough coffee raw materials in Guangzhou and supplies them where conditions permit. "For example, I will supply them in Chengdu in the middle, and then there will be some coffee-making colleagues to help me on the way." This also makes it easy for him to make coffee while traveling. Material protection.

Ashu still remembers that when he first entered Yuli, Xinjiang, he parked his car on the side of the road to buy fruit. He was surprised to find that the stall owner’s grandfather was in his 90s and his grandmother was also in her 80s. "They seemed to be in very good health. They felt very fresh when they saw my car. They came together to look at the equipment in the car and told me that they had never seen a coffee machine, coffee beans, or drank coffee in their lives." I bought them a cup of coffee, and the old lady gave me a bag of fragrant pears, and I also gave them a few cartons of milk to taste."

The Tibetan grandfather who could play the guitar, the sanitation workers on Mount Everest, the backpackers who were hiking... and then all the strangers they met on the road, Ashu handed them a cup of coffee one by one. The expressions on their faces when they drank coffee also left a deep impression on Ashu, "Unlike office workers in the city drinking coffee, their expressions were natural and cute."

There is no perfect plan

There are always encounters to give

All along, Ashu rarely worries about unfamiliar environments before setting off for a trip. He always feels that when he wants to leave, he should not do too much. By default, "there are still many people in this world who will come to help you." He also kept an open mind on the road, chatting with locals while making hand-brewed coffee, "telling them where we are coming from and where we are going, and then buying them a cup of coffee."

Ashu has a personal experience. Even on the very remote national highways 317 and 318, “Except for a few elderly people who cannot understand Chinese, wherever they go now, they are very different from young people.” Communication is smooth and the locals are very welcoming.”

The biggest difficulty encountered while traveling is that you will get stuck in a car if you are not careful while driving.

That time on the Ngari South Line, he wanted to drive the car closer to the sacred lake Manasarovar. Because the coffee car itself was long, the equipment installed was relatively heavy, and it was a front-wheel drive. As a result, it suddenly fell into a soft state. He couldn't move in the sand. "If you're stuck like this, you can't get out on your own. You have to rely on other cars to pull you out." At that time, there was no one around and there were no tools in the car, so he could only try to dig sand with his bare hands. Later, a passing car tried to help him, but it failed for a long time due to insufficient horsepower. Ashu smiled bitterly and said, "The eldest brother left us a field shovel and continued on his way."

When the car got stuck, he kept digging for eight hours from the morning. Just when he was about to despair, a local Tibetan brother who drove a four-wheel drive came over to help and finally helped him get the car back. Pulled out. Ashu couldn't help but sigh, "Thinking about it later, it is more meaningful to experience these special things and meet more people."

Along the way, ordinary people moved Ashu the most, and he was willing to share the same kindness. I remember when we took the Qinghai-Tibet line to Golmud, the average altitude along the way was over 4,000, and people would get out of breath when walking on flat ground. Occasionally, Ashu glanced at the reflector and said, "Oh my God, I actually saw a big brother pushing a small tool cart on the road and running over." He stopped and called his elder brother to ask, only to find out that he started from the east gate of Qinghai and was going to Lhasa. The eldest brother told him that he would climb a Fengshan Mountain with an altitude of 5,010 meters later, and also advised Ashu not to stay too long. "The altitude here is high and it is easy to get altitude sickness." Ashu learned that he couldn't drink coffee, so he quickly picked up a few cartons of milk and handed them over, "I'll replenish my strength later."

Another time, Ashu flew a drone in Ali, Tibet, and ran into the village, attracting crowds of villagers. Many children gathered around to watch him fly the plane. Ashu gave each child a box of milk. Seeing their happy faces, he was deeply moved. "I didn't expect that a small thing could bring them so much happiness. Maybe this is the meaning of travel."

Making coffee can express respect

Giving coffee can express gratitude

Ashu and the others spent a long time looking at the venues, including shopping malls, creative parks, The special attractions are not satisfactory after all. By chance, Highway Coffee 2.0 met Dongshankou Jueyuan 1984 B&B because of the Mahua Market. The atmosphere of that century-old courtyard was just right, which satisfied Ashu and the others who wanted to integrate the coffee cart into the present. Looking forward to everyone enjoying a pleasant moment. In their view, "having the same odor" is really a very interesting thing. After going around for a while, Ashu and the others found a location for the 2.0 coffee truck in Jueyuan.

Although there have been three iterations of the road coffee truck, Ashu bluntly said that one thing he has never changed is that when modifying the design, he has always kept "all coffee equipment placed outwards." This way, he can communicate with people and demonstrate the coffee-making process at the same time. Especially for those who have never drank coffee, Ashu feels that focusing and carefully making every cup of coffee in his hands can not only maximize people's appreciation of the art of coffee, but also express their respect for others.

In Ashu’s road coffee truck, he designed 80% of the space for making coffee. In addition to the visible coffee brewing part, he also equipped the car with a small roaster. When traveling long distances, he would bring green beans and this small roaster with him so that he could brew the beans when their flavor was at its best.

Ashu has always had a clear idea. He wants to travel around the world in a coffee truck. He originally planned to drive a road coffee truck to Europe this year, but the plan had to be shelved due to the epidemic. Ashu was not idle. In January this year, he drove a road coffee truck to the coffee base in Yunnan. In Pu'er, they walked into the coffee forest, visited and learned about coffee farmers' cultivation and coffee bean processing. After experiencing a day's life of a coffee farmer, he deeply felt that "from seed to cup, every grain of coffee is hard-won."

What Ashu didn’t expect was that a wave of epidemics broke out in Guangzhou since May. At that time, the temperature was 36°C every day, coupled with continuous heavy rains. Ashu and the others saw that every staff member involved in epidemic prevention was soaked to the skin. “Some communities had to test all employees overnight and worked until four or five in the morning. Finally, I was so tired that I took a rest on the spot without even taking off my protective clothing. The feeling is really indescribable.”

On an impromptu basis, Ashu and the others decided to send a cup of coffee to the staff and volunteers responsible for nucleic acid testing in nearby blocks to express their gratitude. "The delivery went smoothly on the first day. The second day was not so smooth because there was a typhoon in Guangzhou and it rained heavily when the clerk was delivering the goods halfway. But it was still delivered. It was just a little thoughtful," Ashu said lightly. "We gave away 200 cups of road coffee, just to let the frontline workers feel that behind a cup of coffee is the gratitude of the citizens."

This summer, more and more young people like to go to the courtyard of Jueyuan to find road coffee, and drink mellow ice coffee under the shade of the trees to relieve the afternoon heat. Ashu admitted that even though he had a place to stay, the home he longed for was still far away. He said that "Road Coffee" will continue to move forward on the road. "We still have a longer way to go. It doesn't matter if we stop temporarily. The road is life. After all, our ultimate dream is to travel around the world."