There are always interesting souls doing things that sound amazingly incredible in this world. How does a Didi trip from Sanya to Urumqi sound to you?

Two expats took a taxi all the way from Sanya in Hainan to Urumqi in Xinjiang– a distance of 4600km. Imagine being the Didi driver who saw that order and was crazy enough to accept it!

These two daring expats hopped in a Didi cab in the seaside town of Sanya, the most southeastern city of China, and took it all the way to Urumqi, the most northwestern city of China.

Guess how much the trip cost?

Maybe a bit more than these two guys imagined. It was the longest and most expensive itinerary in Didi’s history. They set a world record.

At the beginning of the story, the expats placed a Didi order as normal – like how we go to work and take a taxi, but with a starting point in Sanya and destination in Urumqi. Surprisingly, they didn’t have to wait too long for a driver to accept the order. After receiving the order, the first thing the driver did was go home to pack his luggage. Not the typical start to a Didi trip.

Thus, the three intrepid explorers started out on their magical journey. They encountered incredible sights on their 4600km venture.

First, they had to drive across the island from Sanya to Haikou City. Remember, this is an island – so getting to Guangdong province requires a boat! Not a simple task with a taxi. They had to find a ship that would transport the taxi over to the mainland. Before completing this step, the fare was already over ¥1,000!

After a daylong boat ride, they left the blue seas and skies of Hainan behind and started to pass through the lush and verdant mountain scenery of Guizhou. They continued onwards towards Chongqing, dreaming of incredibly spicy hot pot.

They drove through the fog of Sichuan, passing through the mountains and forests, going through countless tunnels and over breathtaking bridges before arriving in Shaanxi. The first thing on the agenda for the new province? -Eating an authentic steamed bun!

The next stop was Lanzhou, passing the halfway point in their adventure, getting closer and closer to their destination and closer to a steaming hot bowl of Lanzhou Lamian. The trio was dreaming of trying that classic dish right at the source. They arrived in Lanzhou at night and went straight to a restaurant to watch the noodle master work his magic, crafting handmade pulled noodles.

After Lanzhou, the terrain became arid and barren, with fewer trees and more desert-like terrain. At first, they encountered towering mountains, which gave way to the Gobi Desert, with its beautifully empty landscape. With few cars on the road, they stopped on the highway to face the boundless Gobi, with only the wind for accompaniment.

The blue seas of Sanya and green hills of Guizhou were only five days ago, but they felt like a lifetime away. They had traveled through a large chunk of China and had watched the surrounding terrain, landforms, and scenery undergo tremendous changes.

Passing through the Gobi meant that they were finally coming to Xinjiang! As the two Chinese characters that compose ‘Xinjiang’ finally came into view, the trio let out a tremendous shout of triumph!

Driving towards the final destination of Urumqi, the reddish-brown rocks on the sides of the road had a distinct feeling of Xinjiang. The two expats said it reminded them of a scene from Star Wars. The first locals they encountered were in Hami, and they gave them a specialty of the region ‘hami gua’ also known as cantaloupe. 

After six days of driving, Urumqi’s Grand Bazaar finally came into view. This is the largest bazaar in the world and a symbol of Urumqi. With only three kilometers left before they arrived at the Bazaar, the two expats had a question for their driver – “If we asked you for a return trip, Urumqi to Sanya, would you be willing?” The driver flashed a smile and replied “Of course, no problem!”

Altogether, the six-day journey from Sanya to Urumqi cost a total of ¥14,684.86!

While celebrating the creation of the world record, the two expats did not forget to thank the driver with one final sentence – “He set this world record, not us!”