TV trekkers offer lessons for lifestyle

Television programs in China are often hopelessly boring. Some of my friends install illegal antennas to receive international television channels such as HBO or CNN. I play DVDs or video games on television.

But a recent glimpse at a travel documentary caught my attention. Two Beijingers - Gu Yue and Liu Chang - hitchhiked from Beijing to Berlin last year to visit Gu's German girlfriend. I could not stop watching it.

The 16-episode documentary, To Berlin By Thumb, currently airing on the Travel Channel, vividly recounted 88 rides in 13 countries over more than 100 days the pair spent on the road. The program, also available online, has drawn millions of Internet viewers.