A Chinese man has gone viral for embarking on a journey across China in an excavator, visiting 13 provinces and regions over six months and amassing more than 550,000 followers online.

His remarkable adventure has garnered widespread admiration and envy across Chinese social media platforms.

Wen Xiangpu, 27, from Pingdingshan in northern China’s Henan province, began learning to operate excavators at the age of 15 and spent years travelling the country working at various construction sites.

Facing limited formal education and a tightening job market, Wen conceived a daring plan: to tour China in his excavator.

On March 1, he set off from his hometown in a fully licensed excavator.