4,000km Taxi Ride from Hainan to Harbin: Two Foreign Vloggers' Incredible Challenge

A Chinese taxi driver agreed to take two foreign vloggers on a nearly 4,000-kilometer ride from tropical Hainan to ice-covered Harbin – an unlikely cross-country fare that has since gone viral on Douyin.

The journey was documented by the account YChina, which has nearly nine million followers. In a series of videos, the pair attempted to hail a taxi from China's southernmost island province to its far northeast, a distance spanning sharply contrasting climates and landscapes. The unusual premise – and the eventual success in finding a driver willing to accept it – quickly pushed the topic onto trending lists, drawing millions of views.

One of the travelers is Israeli content creator Raz Galor, known to Chinese audiences as Gao Yousi, founder of YChina and a graduate of Peking University's School of International Studies. He was joined by French companion Nathan Chemouny.

In the videos, the two are seen repeatedly searching ride-hailing platforms for a driver prepared to take on the cross-country trip. After several refusals, a Hainan driver surnamed Luo agreed to the request.

The trio departed Haikou on January 19, taking a ferry across the Qiongzhou Strait before driving north through Guangdong and Guangxi. In Guilin, they toured the city's renowned karst landscapes. When their vehicle broke down mid-journey, they rented another car and continued through central and northern cities before reaching Harbin's Ice and Snow World on January 23.

The vloggers advanced Luo 15,000 yuan (about US$2,170) before departure and agreed to cover travel expenses along the way. Social media posts show Luo documenting the journey daily.

For the driver, who said he had not even prepared a heavy winter coat, the trip marked a series of personal firsts. In the videos, he speaks about seeing snowfall for the first time, visiting Tiananmen Square, viewing the Yangtze River, and tasting regional specialties including Changsha's stinky tofu.

Social media posts show Luo documenting the trip daily. On January 24, as he prepared to return south, he thanked the two travelers, saying they had given him "countless firsts" and an unforgettable experience.

On February 9, Luo livestreamed to followers, announcing he had returned to Haikou after flying from Harbin to Guilin and driving the remainder of the journey home.

A representative for the vloggers' team confirmed to Jimu News that the trip has concluded and that the two travelers are now in Milan, Italy.