Chinese man cycles across US to 'show that human nature is good'

On the wide open roads of America, Yifei Xu has conducted an experiment on humanity.

Far from his home in Shanghai, he cycled across the United States for over four months – enduring rain, rugged terrain and uncertainty in a foreign land to prove what he believes is a universal truth.

“I want to show that human nature is good!” said Xu.

Relying solely on the kindness of strangers at every meal, the 33-year-old approached ordinary Americans with the same pitch: “Hi, I’m a cyclist coming from China, can you offer me something to eat?”

Xu previously cycled through Russia, England and France. And while not all of his encounters with the U.S. were positive, Xu said the vast majority of responses he received — in places like Catawissa, Pennsylvania, and Bennington, Nebraska — proved him right, which lifted his spirits and kept him up for endless hours took the long way. away and spend uncomfortable nights sleeping in his tent.

“To be honest, before I came here I had a different – and you might even say, somewhat negative – perception of America,” Xu said in Mandarin, speaking to NBC News. “But so many people here have offered to help me without expecting anything in return, and it really touched me.”

During his journey, Xu shared meals with dozens of families for hours. And while many people offered him more than food – perhaps cash or a ride – he said he refused both. For Xu, the chance to spread goodwill seems to be his only reward.

David Hatker was home having dinner with his family in Davis, California, when Xu knocked.

“I feel like I got more out of it than he did,” he said. “I offered him a meal; he has given me a tremendous lesson in the generosity he has experienced on this journey.

With US-China relations at their freezing point in decades, Xu views his bike ride as a rolling diplomatic mission, tearing down barriers one meal at a time.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News: