BEIJING • Truck driver Zhang Junguang wanted to give his four-year-old son a different kind of education. One that cannot be found in the classroom.

He recently took his son on a 540km trip on roller- blades that took them from their home town in Puyang city to Beijing, reported Chinese media.

Their 14-day journey began in Henan province on March 22 and ended at Tiananmen Square on April 4, reported chinanews.com last week.

"Everyday before we hit the road, I would book or check online where we're going to stay for the night. The trip cost us about 3,000 yuan (S$629) in total," Mr Zhang, 39, said.

Their belongings were packed in a haversack, which the father carried with him.

The pair visited many landmarks during their eight-day stay in Beijing before taking the train home.

Along the way, Mr Zhang took more than 600 photos and posted them on China's microblogging site Weibo, generating much attention among Chinese netizens.

Mr Zhang and his son posing for a photo at Juyongguan Pass on the Great Wall near Beijing. They visited many landmarks during their stay in the city. PHOTO: WEIBO

Many asked him whether the trip would be too tiring for a four-year-old. Mr Zhang replied that his son was fine throughout the trip. The boy learnt to rollerblade when he was two years old.

Although the trip was not an easy one, it helped the child understand the importance of persistence and hard work, the father said.

Mr Zhang added that his son was very proud about the whole experience and told everyone he met on the way that he was travelling with his father.

The proud father said their next destination will be Qingdao during the summer holidays. "I'm planning to travel across China with my son, one destination each year."

CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK