Beijing Youth, a TV drama aired on Beijing TV, has generated controversy since its premiere. The show begins with protagonist He Dong quitting his job as a civil servant and leaving his girlfriend behind in order to fully live out his youth.

In the show, He's journey is joined by a number of cousins and friends. In real life, he has also gained a following of young adults.

"Ever youthful, ever weeping." Jack Kerouac's words in On the Road continue to influence and inspire a young generation today.

Alongside the popular TV series, some are choosing to embark on the same adventurous path as He Dong.

Searching for meaning

An online social networking forum, titled "resign to travel," has 130,000 members, all interested in full-time traveling or taking a gap year. The online community has about 100 new posts every day, all sharing their experiences in traveling and volunteering.

Chen Xianghong, 29, is one of the members.

"I have always been a good child," he said. As a student he listened to the teachers, and as an employee he listened to his bosses.

In his 30s, he realized that he wanted to pursue a life with more freedom. He did not expect anything to materialize from the trip.

"To travel and to get somewhere was all I wanted to do. As long as I made it there, I fulfilled a dream. The rest was a plus," said Chen.

Chen traveled for about 11 months and stopped twice to earn some cash. He said his case is not representative of everyone's plight. His expectations for jobs were not as high as others, making it easier for him to find work. 

"I worked in restaurants and construction sites. Others would not take these types of jobs," he said.

Chen also said that some people he met while traveling just wanted to escape from pressure.

"Most of them go back to their old job again, after traveling," said Chen.

Huang Hui, 26, had a different experience. She said her reason for traveling was to escape from a job she disliked and further problems she had. Three months after returning, she realized that nothing had changed.

"Traveling didn't solve any problems," said Huang.

However, she told the Global Times that while she was in the Tibet Autonomous Region, she realized the power of belief and happiness.

"My trip was to search for happiness, which I found there." 

Although it was not easy to apply what she learned to real life events, she gradually found a way to solve her problems. It took another three months for her to find a more suitable and satisfying job.

Obliging parents

Kerouac wrote, "I was still young, I look forward to the road."

But the price for giving up a job and being on the road seems too high for many Chinese youth. One common problem is opposing voices from families.

"Originally, I didn't want to tell my father. When I told him, he didn't agree at first. But when I explained to him the life I wanted, he finally gave me permission," said Chen.

Huang said that her mother did not agree with her quitting work. Huang also hesitated at the beginning. Ultimately, Huang concluded that being young gave one the opportunity to curb regret.

"I want my youth to be worthwhile, to be crazy once," she said.

Lu Weixiao's story, on the other hand, was not as he expected. He wanted to quit his job and volunteer in Kunming, Yunnan Province in May.

But when his parents insisted that he stay, he ended up acquiescing.

At the end of August, he had another argument with his father; finally, they reached an agreement. Lu would travel for one month, instead of volunteering.

Like Chen, Lu said he did not expect to achieve anything from the trip. He just wanted to experience the culture and scenery in Yunnan and Tibet. He persuaded his parents by saying that after the trip, he will focus only on career development.

Life goals

Li Yanyan, the organizer of the online group and an Ipad magazine called Travel Literature, said that it is necessary to separate travel and work.

Traveling can help people relax and gain new perspectives, but it will not help young people find a better job.

Quitting a job for the purpose of traveling is not ideal for everyone.

He also suggests young adults bear in mind responsibilities to their family and society when making decisions.

Li Chunling, a sociologist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told CNTV that she advises young people to think before acting.

"You need to think about what you want to do and what your goal is. To [quit] your job or have new starts are not good reasons of escaping."

Zhao Baogang, director of Beijing Youth, told Beijing Evening News that his intention was not to convince people to quit their job and mimic the characters in the drama.

His initial intention was to encourage young people who remain in the same city their whole lives to make a change.

"I think young people should look more, observe more, walk and have a look around. Not [just be] rushed to succeed."