customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Alice Yan

Two men in southern China were so desperate to save a few dollars they spent six hours riding a water bike across the open ocean without life jackets to avoid paying 41.5 yuan (US$6) each for the ferry crossing.
The men — one identified as Brother Stone on social media and a friend surnamed Zhou — rode the water bike from Xuwen in Guangdong province across the Qiongzhou Strait to Haikou on Hainan Island on December 31, Star Video reported.
They said they wanted to save money by not paying for the ferry and to challenge themselves physically to celebrate the approaching new year.
The crossing between Xuwen and Haikou takes one hour on the ferry.


The two are from central China’s Henan province and often work together doing philanthropy in rural areas across the country, which leaves them with little spare money, Brother Stone said.
“We really don’t have money to buy ferry tickets,” he said.
Brother Stone added that he bought the hydrocycle years ago to travel around the country with him, but didn’t have more money to buy life jackets.
“From the video I took during the journey, you can see that the weather was pretty good. But there were surging waves all the way. We were experiencing non-stop high and low waves,” said Brother Stone. “It made me feel nervous, frightened, but also fresh and happy.”

They began the crossing at 9am and reached Hainan Island around 3pm. For the first half of the journey, they observed the sun to determine which direction was south. During the remaining half of the trip, they were able to see the shore of the island.
They took turns riding the bike and said it was physically exhausting.
“After going ashore, our legs were painful and sore. We could hardly walk,” said Brother Stone.
“We were thinking we could be the first people to cross the Qiongzhou Strait in this way. We finally made it thanks to our bravery, will, persistence, and we spent no money,” he said.

The duo’s sea excursion soon gained traction on mainland social media where many people expressed concern about their trip.
“They are too audacious. Without life jackets, they will lose their lives after falling into the sea,” one person commented.
“Didn’t they worry that they might ride to the Philippines?” said another.
Another user warned: “We’d better not circulate videos of such silly and dangerous behaviour to avoid emulation, which will lead to more rescue work for the authorities.”


Taiwan man discovers ex-wife selling sex to raise funds for tuition fees after finding client journal

Taiwanese woman creates panic after secretly taking temple statue home for DIY makeover

Outrage after China officials say schoolgirl stabbed 200 times with sewing awl ‘not bullying’

China’s retirement-age changes force rethink of plans to work longer, save smarter

Trending in China

Saved US$6: 2 men in China ride water bike for 6 hours on open ocean without life jackets to avoid ferry fare, causing alarm

Mainland social media users have been alarmed by a video of two men using a fragile looking hydrocycle to pedal across the open ocean without life jackets because they did not want to pay for the ferry. Photo: SCMP composite/Handout

While the ferry trip takes an hour, the men spent six hours taking turns pedalling their way across the strait. Photo: Weibo

Brother Stone says he bought the hydrocycle some time ago but had not been able to afford life jackets. Photo: Weibo

Super seafood: Hong Kong wet market slaps US$1,280 price tag on rare single fish that meets stunning array of culinary needs

The Threadfin fish, which experts say is super healthy and can be cooked in many styles, was slapped with a price tag of HK$10,000 (US$1,280). Photo: SCMP Composite

A highly nutritious and rare fish has gone on sale at a normally cheap Hong Kong wet market for a whopping US$1,280. Photo: SCMP Composite

The nutritious Threadfin fish is selling for US$1,280 at a Hong Kong wet market. Photo: FACEBOOK/Wingfung Keung

Communal seafood meal gatherings are ubiquitous across Asia and especially in Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock

‘He is so bold’: dancing Chinese teacher takes stress out of study by strutting his stuff like a female K-pop star for students at the school gala

Online observers of a video showing a Chinese teacher dancing in the style of female K-pop stars have been full of praise for his invention and energy. Photo: SCMP Composite

A Chinese teacher dances to K-pop tracks at school New Year gala and says the best education is ‘love and joy’, delighting students and mainland social media. Photo: SCMP Composite

The “sensibly” dressed teacher, who has not been named, struts his K-pop stuff. Photo: Weibo

The video also shows his students smiling and clapping enthusiastically as he dances. Photo: Weibo

Woman in China faces court after dumping 12.5 tonnes of catfish into lake for good luck that took 10 days to clean up after massive die-offs

A woman in China who dumped more than 10 tonnes of invasive fish into a lake in a Buddhist ritual that later died. Photo: SCMP composite/handout

Life release rituals have led to the creation of a lucrative industry where animals are caught in the wild and then sold as ‘captive’ animals for re-release. Photo: Weibo

The woman chose the species called Clarias, a genus of catfish, because they were cheaper than the other fish available. Photo: Weibo

Xu and Liu were sued last year for the incident and were ordered to pay more than 90,000 yuan in compensation. Photo: Weibo

It took local government workers 10 days to remove all the dead fish from the lake. Photo: Weibo

‘I like you’: Chinese girl finds hidden love note from shy boy with crush on her inside toy gift he gave her more than a year ago

Chinese girl is “touched and surprised” to find a hidden love note inside a toy carousel she was given by a shy boy with a crush on her more than a year ago. Photo: SCMP Composite

A Chinese woman has found a love note hidden in the battery compartment of a toy gifted by a schoolmate at her graduation a year ago delighting Chinese social media. Photo: SCMP Composite

The note, hidden inside the battery compartment of the toy carousel, simply said, “I like you”. Photo: Weibo

Online observers say the girl should have pursued the boy as soon as he gave her the gift. Photo: Shutterstock

‘You can cook sitting on the toilet’: 6-square-metre Chinese nano-flat under the stairs slammed as affront to human dignity

A six-square-metre nano-flat in Shanghai, China is going for US$55 a month and marketed with the key selling point that you can sit on the toilet and cook at the same time. Photo: SCMP Composite

Video of a so-called nano-flat in China where the tenant can cook while sitting on the toilet has gone viral after a real-estate agent boasted about its “all-inclusive” design. Photo: SCMP Composite

As well as the toilet-cum-cooking arrangement, the tiny living space provides a single bed. Photo:   163.com

The tiny US$55-a-month unit is likely to be rented to hard-up migrant workers. Photo: 163.com

News

People & Culture

Two men who crossed the open ocean between Guangdong and Hainan with no life jackets cause alarm on social media
The men say they travel around China for philanthropic work, which leaves little spare money for things like ferry tickets


An ocean-crossing on a flimsy hydrocycle by two men in China raises alarm after a video of the pair’s daring journey went viral.


China society

Saved US$6: 2 men in China ride water bike for 6 hours on open ocean without life jackets to avoid ferry fare, causing alarm

Two men who crossed the open ocean between Guangdong and Hainan with no life jackets cause alarm on social media The men say they travel around China for philanthropic work, which leaves little spare money for things like ferry tickets

Two men who crossed the open ocean between Guangdong and Hainan with no life jackets cause alarm on social media

The men say they travel around China for philanthropic work, which leaves little spare money for things like ferry tickets