Xiao Yu from Xing'an county, Guilin city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and his pet dog pose in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, October 22, 2014. [Photo/IC]

A 29-year-old Chinese man and his dog have just become the center of attention because of their extraordinary experience: traveling around the world on cycle.

Xiao Yu, a photographer of animals from Xing'an county, Guilin city, south China's Guangxi province, started his journey in 2014 with his companion -- a dog named Harry that he adopted earlier. During a year-long trip, Xiao rode across 23 countries, with the total mileage reaching 25,000 kilometers, and also visited hundreds of stray animal rescue centers in the hope to raise awareness of animal protection.

After returning to his hometown, Xiao shared his stories in a book called Cycling Around The World published last month and donated all his earnings from the book to stray dog protection organizations.