Working in the highly regulated offshore fund industry, Chen Guanhe, General Manager of Kanghe Investment Consulting, the exclusive agent for Julius Baer and KBI Funds, finds his daily stress relief and wellness routine in hiking, stargazing, and traveling the world.
He says, as Mencius quoted Confucius: “When Confucius climbed Mount Dong, he felt Lu was small; when he climbed Mount Tai, he felt the world was small.” Gazing into the distance from high ground always broadens one’s perspective and helps one easily forget all worldly trivialities. Stargazing has been his childhood passion—“the more you understand the stars, the more you realize how vast the universe is, and how unnecessary it is to fret over life’s small matters.”
Three Principles to Fully Enjoy Hiking
When it comes to hiking, Chen Guanhe becomes quite talkative. He says he has loved climbing mountains since his school days and never enjoyed other sports because “escaping into the mountains is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Especially when standing at the mountaintop, you can take in the beautiful scenery below and also find inner peace. Hiking provides over half an hour of continuous cardio exercise, which is great for fitness.”
In the past, he preferred hiking alone, leaving his footprints on mountains near Taipei such as Elephant Mountain, Four Beasts Mountain, and Thumb Mountain. However, after once taking a hard fall while trying to cross a large rock on Zhitan Mountain in Xindian—ripping his pants and limping home, which frightened his wife—he has since been accompanied by her on every hike.
Chen Guanhe suggests that hiking can be divided into three stages. For beginners, it’s best to start with urban or suburban mountains that have marked trails, such as Maokong in Muzha or Four Beasts Mountain, with round trips taking about two hours. Next, one can challenge mountains between 500 to 1,000 meters, which usually lack formal trails and only have mountain paths—it’s best to go with companions. More advanced hikers can then aim for the Taiwan Hundred Mountains.
Chen Guanhe, who has extensive hiking experience, emphasizes three key principles for hiking: 1. Respect nature and avoid making loud noises—unexpected things often happen in the mountains. 2. Carry complete hiking gear to protect yourself. His essential gear includes a compass, trekking poles, warm clothing, high-calorie snacks (like chocolate), a first aid kit, a scout rope, a Swiss army knife, and a topographic hiking map. “Never rely solely on GPS or online maps; always use professional hiking maps to understand your route and avoid getting lost.” 3. Make sure to exit the mountains before sunset—“the forest is friendly and welcoming when visibility is good, but when visibility drops, it becomes a dark abyss, which is extremely dangerous.”
Stargazing, Reading, and Traveling: Cultivating the Mind and Spirit
Nurturing the spirit is also part of wellness. Chen Guanhe points out that he especially enjoys stargazing to forget worldly troubles. “Many managers these days are under great stress and suffer from depression, but actually, stargazing is a great way to relieve pressure. Just think—light travels 380,000 kilometers per second, and distances between stars are measured in light-years. The closest star to Earth takes 4.3 years to reach us. That puts into perspective how vast the universe is, and really, there’s no need to worry over trivial matters or argue with others.”
In fact, Chen Guanhe was the president of his high school astronomy club, and one of his juniors even went on to become an observatory director. He himself is also well-versed in astrology and the Purple Star system, even doing annual divinations for his company to foresee good fortune and avoid misfortune.
Besides astronomy and stargazing, Chen Guanhe also enjoys reading to cultivate his temperament. His personal library is filled with thousands of books on history, geography, astronomy, astrology, religion, flowers, travel, finance, and more. “Reading is a great way to enrich the mind and broaden one’s horizons.”
As the saying goes, “Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.” Chen Guanhe also loves to travel and goes abroad regularly each year. But in recent years, he prefers domestic travel and highly recommends the documentary “Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above” by Qi Binglin. He notes that in the past, major tourist spots in Taiwan were the main draw, but in recent years many small towns have successfully transformed, creating unique cultural and local attractions that are fascinating
In addition to hiking, stargazing, and health-focused travel, Chen Guanhe also pays close attention to his diet. The turning point came five years ago when a comprehensive medical checkup revealed that he not only had the "three highs" — high blood lipids, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol — but, most critically, there was already evidence of arterial blockage in his heart. Health management became urgent. Now, he avoids overly refined foods and calculates the calorie intake of everything he eats every day. “A man needs about 2,500 calories a day, and I have to keep it under control.” He has turned down all social engagements involving food and drink, and makes sure to eat at least two servings of vegetables and fruit daily. Over the years, all the red flags on his medical reports have disappeared, and his cardiovascular issues have not worsened.
Chen Guanhe believes that health comes first, and wealth is just the zeros that follow; with good health, life becomes vibrant. Being in nature regularly can bring contentment and joy.