China’s ‘road-tripping auntie’ vows to keep going after divorce comes through
Accidental feminist icon Su Min, who hit the road after leaving her abusive husband, says ‘it wasn’t until 60 that I truly began to understand life’
![Su Min, 60, says she’s “rebuilding” herself and “stepping into a life of freedom and joy”. Photo: Weibo/微博@50歲阿姨自駕遊](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2025/01/29/1067beb2-7d59-4d6d-9594-69c447ea2913_54b36a3f.jpg?itok=kOUOX0GV&v=1738134202)
Vowing to “stay on the road”, the 60-year-old made the announcement on her Weibo social media account where she has been documenting her travels in video diaries and now has 3.5 million followers.
“38 years of my life. I’ve paid for my mistakes, and from now on, we’ll go our separate ways,” Su said. “I believe my future will only get better. Cheers to my divorce!”
The divorce was finalised on January 9, and to celebrate Su bought a camper van in the northeastern port city of Dalian and continued on her journey.
In a post on Sunday, Su said her first trip of 2025 – a ferry journey to the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea – had been a success. “It’s never too late to live for yourself,” she said.
![Su Min’s divorce certificate has come through. Photo: Weibo/微博@50歲阿姨自駕遊 Su Min’s divorce certificate has come through. Photo: Weibo/微博@50歲阿姨自駕遊](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2025/01/29/b1035d97-8c46-4cef-99ad-0208410e71b3_b795d776.jpg)
The path to freedom has had its challenges. Su’s husband had demanded 500,000 yuan (US$69,000) to agree to the divorce, but they settled on 160,000 yuan (US$22,000). Despite the significant cost, Su said it was liberating.
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