Zheng Jingtai was a well-dressed partner at a law firm in Quanzhou, Fujian province, until two years ago. Then, he quit his job to take a break, and along with his wife, Qing Ying, embarked on a journey that took them from the eastern province to the country's northwest and back.

Their return journey to Quanzhou from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region was with the help of horses.

The experience won Zheng about 170,000 followers online after he did live broadcasting to share their journey from time to time.

"I had to give up my income and hand my work over to my business partners half a year in advance to ensure the best interests of my clients," recalls Zheng, 39. "I can always make money, but I can live only once, so I had to listen to my inner voice."

For him, it was a choice not so much out of a whim as it was about a search for the meaning of life.

In early 2020, Zheng had then been married for just two years and had about 400,000 yuan ($62,600) in family savings. The couple lived in a rented apartment in downtown Quanzhou. Zheng painted a rosy picture for Qing about the trip to persuade her to go along.

"I told her how romantic it would be to travel across the country, playing with horses and enjoying the sea and blossoms," he says.

He convinced his in-laws about how he had things all planned out for later. Zheng's partners at the law firm were supportive of his decision and would have him back after the trip, he says.

Getting the nod from his family, Zheng got down to preparations. He bought items such as a tent, sleeping bags, solar panels and a satellite phone. The two then left their 1-year-old daughter in the care of their parents and hit the road in March 2020. They first flew to Yining, Xinjiang.

"We were filled with excitement about the unknown," he recalls.

They went straight to local farmers and bought two tough horses for 50,000 yuan. Since there are many uninhabited areas in Xinjiang, some of which might have taken them days to cover, Zheng designed a wagon to carry supplies. "The first one was too light and could easily bump off the road."

So he used the steel and chassis of a motor vehicle to build a wagon that weighed about 200 kilograms and attached it to the horses. Yet, it didn't take long before reality diluted their enthusiasm.

"The horses had trouble climbing steep slopes, and we had to empty the wagon and then upload all over again in such places," Zheng says.

Moments of desperation also sneaked up when a wheel of the wagon broke in the middle of nowhere. "It was all exhausting, in terms of energy and money."

Yet, the stunning natural scenery in such places kept them going.

"At dusk, there were clouds all over the sky, which changed from red to purple as the sun shone on them, much like the nebula," Zheng says, poetically.

Such images "move you to tears and make you feel small in the big universe", he adds.

Zheng Jingtai was a well-dressed partner at a law firm in Quanzhou, Fujian province, until two years ago. Then, he quit his job to take a break, and along with his wife, Qing Ying, embarked on a journey that took them from the eastern province to the country's northwest and back.

Their return journey to Quanzhou from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region was with the help of horses.

The experience won Zheng about 170,000 followers online after he did live broadcasting to share their journey from time to time.

"I had to give up my income and hand my work over to my business partners half a year in advance to ensure the best interests of my clients," recalls Zheng, 39. "I can always make money, but I can live only once, so I had to listen to my inner voice."

For him, it was a choice not so much out of a whim as it was about a search for the meaning of life.

In early 2020, Zheng had then been married for just two years and had about 400,000 yuan ($62,600) in family savings. The couple lived in a rented apartment in downtown Quanzhou. Zheng painted a rosy picture for Qing about the trip to persuade her to go along.

"I told her how romantic it would be to travel across the country, playing with horses and enjoying the sea and blossoms," he says.

He convinced his in-laws about how he had things all planned out for later. Zheng's partners at the law firm were supportive of his decision and would have him back after the trip, he says.

Getting the nod from his family, Zheng got down to preparations. He bought items such as a tent, sleeping bags, solar panels and a satellite phone. The two then left their 1-year-old daughter in the care of their parents and hit the road in March 2020. They first flew to Yining, Xinjiang.

"We were filled with excitement about the unknown," he recalls.

They went straight to local farmers and bought two tough horses for 50,000 yuan. Since there are many uninhabited areas in Xinjiang, some of which might have taken them days to cover, Zheng designed a wagon to carry supplies. "The first one was too light and could easily bump off the road."

So he used the steel and chassis of a motor vehicle to build a wagon that weighed about 200 kilograms and attached it to the horses. Yet, it didn't take long before reality diluted their enthusiasm.

"The horses had trouble climbing steep slopes, and we had to empty the wagon and then upload all over again in such places," Zheng says.

Moments of desperation also sneaked up when a wheel of the wagon broke in the middle of nowhere. "It was all exhausting, in terms of energy and money."

Yet, the stunning natural scenery in such places kept them going.

"At dusk, there were clouds all over the sky, which changed from red to purple as the sun shone on them, much like the nebula," Zheng says, poetically.

Such images "move you to tears and make you feel small in the big universe", he adds.