Husband and wife travel China for nearly 20 years

Gu Xiangdong and Gao Zhixia have been on the road for over 20 years and have traveled over 200,000 kilometers nationwide, reports eastday.com.

Gu Xiangdong and Gao Zhixia in Tibet [Photo: eastday.com]

In 1996, Gao Zhixia was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. After undergoing three years of treatment, the couple decided to start travelling to break up the routine.

The marriage photo of Gu Xiangdong and Gao Zhixia [Photo: eastday.com]

"If it wasn't for the disease, our life would be totally different from what it is now," said Gao Zhixia.

"I just wanted my wife to live longer and have no regrets," said Gu Xiangdong.

The couple started traveling in 1999. Gao Zhixia says their first trip helped her relax, allowing her to start recovering from her intensive cancer treatments.

The retrofitted travel van created by Gu Xiangdong and Gao Zhixia [Photo: eastday.com]

They then began organizing trips with groups of friends throughout China.

They say their trip to Tibet made them realize they needed a vehicle of their own to travel with. The couple now have a retrofitted van which they can sleep, eat and shower in.

Gu Xiangdong says he believes their travels have saved his wife's life.

Various photos of Gu Xiangdong and Gao Zhixia taken during their travels [Photo: eastday.com]

"The most important thing for us is enjoying the company between a husband and wife. We have done that for over forty years, especially through hard times," said Gu Xiangdong.