A passion for cross-country driving that even mom can support

"Cross-country drives bring me closer to Mother Nature and give me the thrill of life and a sense of achievement," said Fang Jialin, a fresh graduate and a die-hard SUV lover. "Anything but a girlfriend."

The thrill-seeker, in his twenties, joined the cross-country club almost as soon as he got his driver's license.

"Girls like racing cars, not cross-country sport vehicles," Fang said. With a pick-up truck and a Toyota 3400, he drives for cross-country fun, he said. "They (girls) think cross-country drives are too dusty, so the (cross-country) community is basically a gentleman's club."