Youth encouraged to explore by bike

NYC minister Wang Yu-ting said at a news conference that as part of her agency's Ride for Dreams initiative, people aged 15-30 who tour Taiwan by bicycle should submit stories and pictures of their trips in order to encourage more people to do the same, and they will have a shot at the prizes being offered.

"Given that more and more young people are choosing to travel around the country by bicycle, we hope through this trend to promote Taiwan to the world as a perfect island for bicycle tours, " Wang said.

The Ride for Dreams project, which falls under the NYC's Grand Tour program, is geared toward this end, as it aims to help broaden the experience of young people and encourage them to be more competitive, Wang said.

Four young people who have cycled around Taiwan also attended the news conference to share their experiences and to urge other cycling enthusiasts to follow in their footsteps.

A postgraduate student, Hsu Tzu-yi, said that she got to know the most genuine, beautiful and warmest characteristics of Taiwan by cycling throughout the country and that it is an adventure one should pursue sooner rather than later.

Lu Ying-lung, a graduate student at National Taiwan University, said that his two bicycle tours around Taiwan were very simple and modest, as he took only five t-shirts and one backpack.

"(Setting off) with minimal expectations, I ended up with many surprises," Lu said, referring to the fact that his trips could not have been completed without the help he received from people along the way.

Wang Min-chi, 15, who joined a charity cycling tour with her parents last summer to motivate school dropouts, said that the most unforgettable part of her journey was riding in pouring rain as she tried to escape the devastating Typhoon Kalmaegi last July.

"I learned from the journey that nothing is impossible as long as one perseveres," Wang said.

According to the NYC, people aged 15-30 can participate in the Ride for Dreams project by submitting their biking stories and pictures during the period from July 6 to Aug. 31 for a chance to win NT$30,000 (US$909).

From July 1 to Aug. 17, people aged 18-30 can also take part in the project as a team and submit their "coming-of-age biking ceremony plans" for a chance at winning a grant of NT$70,000 from the NYC to help fund their tours.

The NYC said that more information is available at the its Web site at http://www.nyc.gov.tw or http://youthtravel.tw.

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