Ibrahim was a struggling rickshaw driver who spent 13 hours a day weaving the gridlocked streets of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, when Chinese travel vlogger Du Hongwei first flagged him down last year.

The journey they were about to make would change their lives.

After striking an unlikely friendship, the pair traveled to China together this autumn, with millions online watching as Ibrahim strolled along Shanghai’s glittering Bund, toured Beijing’s ancient Forbidden City, and sampled the local delicacies of Guangzhou, capital of the southern Guangdong province.

Du, 29 — who goes by the online name Du Ke — livestreamed their journey, while at every stop, fans would gather to witness the 29-year-old Bangladeshi rickshaw driver navigate unfamiliar streets and cultures.

Over about two weeks in September, what transpired was less a spectacle than a series of touching moments, with surprises, comradeship and no shortage of laughter. Some even suggest the trip had shades of the Oscar-winning movie “Green Book,” based on the true story of an African-American pianist and his Italian-American driver who forged an unlikely bond in 1962.

In June 2024, Du was on the verge of quitting as a vlogger, having struggled to make an impact. Yet, since he began making content with Ibrahim, his subscribers on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, have surged from 60,000 to more than 7 million. One video, showing the pair’s flight from Dhaka to Guangzhou, has received over 4 million likes.

For many in China, their story has resonated for its raw humanity: amid a digital ecosystem clouded by staged narratives and fleeting trends, these two strangers have bridged distance and culture to create something authentic.

“This is my brother”

On the day the pair met, Du was on his first trip to Dhaka and needed a tour guide. When Ibrahim pulled up beside him on the street, he nervously quoted just 100 taka ($0.80) an hour, below market price.

However, after setting off, the vlogger quickly realized this was no typical rickshaw driver. Though similar to his peers in appearance — slight in stature, with sun-darkened skin — Ibrahim spoke fluent English, which he’d taught himself by listening to the radio, and had extensive knowledge about history and international politics.

Over the next three days, Ibrahim ferried Du everywhere, often holding an umbrella to keep the vlogger cool in the scorching afternoon heat. As he had no phone, he would wait outside Du’s hotel for hours until he was needed.

In Bangladesh, the class divide runs deep. For some in society, even eating at a fast-food restaurant is a status symbol, a place they will not enter for fear of spoiling the atmosphere for other diners. In one video, Du offers to treat Ibrahim to KFC, but he firmly declines: “That’s for rich people. I’m poor.”

Later, Du visited Ibrahim’s dormitory — a dark, windowless room that he shared with about a dozen other rickshaw riders. The men slept on cement floors, sometimes using their trousers as blankets. Ibrahim, an orphan who has worked since he was 12, said that he earned the equivalent of about $7 a day, most of which he sent home to support his adoptive parents, wife, and their two boys, both aged under 10.

Despite the tough living conditions, Ibrahim showed pride and optimism for his nation. In one video, recorded in a tin shack, he tells Du, “We are a developing country, (but) we are in progress. Although the time could be so long — 100, 150, or 200 years — we shall overcome one day, please wait for us.”

After leaving to visit other parts of the South Asian country, Du returned to Dhaka a month later only to discover that Ibrahim had gone back to his hometown after falling seriously ill. Du quickly traveled to see him, and watched in disbelief as hospital staff attempted to turn his friend away with the excuse that “we’re closed today.” A video shows an outraged Du shouting, “This is my brother!” and arguing with staff until Ibrahim is finally admitted.

Doctors eventually diagnosed the rickshaw rider with chronic cholecystitis, an inflammation of the gallbladder, and told him that he could no longer carry out heavy labor.

With Ibrahim’s livelihood at risk, Du decided to spend the equivalent of $650 — roughly half his life savings — to buy him an electric-powered rickshaw. A video shows the pair as they take it for a spin, with an overjoyed Ibrahim singing the gospel song, “We Shall Overcome.”

The gift resulted in Ibrahim more than doubling his income, helping improve his family’s living conditions, and emboldening him for the first time to walk into a KFC with his head held high. That day, he treated Du to lunch.

In a livestream, Du stressed that their story is not about generosity or him being a savior, but about mutual respect. “I’m not here to impose morals or life choices,” he said to the camera.

Ultimately, it was Ibrahim’s resilience that changed Du, as he reminded the vlogger — whose content until that point had received only a lukewarm reception — that perseverance matters more than popularity.

Ibrahim has now returned to riding his rickshaw in Dhaka, while Du continues his travels around the world. However, the vlogger said he hopes to take his friend to his hometown in Jixi, in the northeastern Heilongjiang province, to see the natural winter scenery.

Touching hearts

For some observers, the fact that Du and Ibrahim’s journey has resonated so much with audiences in China reflects the pressures and social constraints that weigh on people in modern society.

In an age of rapid information flow and filtered realities, Du’s raw, documentary style offers viewers unpolished authenticity through simple perspectives and interactions, according to He Xing, who runs a drug development platform in Chengdu, capital of the southwestern Sichuan province, focusing on mental illnesses.

“For many, watching them provides a psychological refuge. Though their lives are far removed, their honesty and perseverance feel close, offering hope,” he said.

He noted that Ibrahim’s upward mobility illustrates the link between personal investment and reward — something people value, especially amid slowing economic growth — giving audiences a sense that their own incremental efforts might also lead to meaningful change.

Though Du paid for the electric-powered rickshaw, many of the comments on his videos quote the well-worn phrase, “Give a man a fish and he’ll feed for a day; teach a man to fish and he’ll feed for a lifetime.” Netizens have said they will carry the pair’s message of perseverance, self-reliance, and faith for a long time.

Anecdotal evidence suggests their story has resonated with all ages and backgrounds. In the eastern Jiangxi province, elementary school teacher Angel Zhang has been playing Du’s videos to her class, hoping to provide a practical lesson in empathy.

“The message may not resonate with them deeply at this age, but opportunities favor those who are prepared,” she told Sixth Tone. “One day, I hope this seed will take root and grow.”

Editor: Hao Qibao.

(Header image: A screenshot shows Du Hongwei and Ibrahim excitedly trying out the new electric rickshaw that Du bought for Ibrahim. From @杜克环游世界 on Douyin)