Li Xiaoshi, the legendary mountaineer from Matsu known as the “mountain-climbing eccentric,” who two years ago became the first person to carry a deity statue up Mount Everest while transporting the Mazu statue, has finally saved up 1.8 million New Taiwan dollars. He is now heading to Nepal to climb Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest peak. He said he hopes to show Mazu the sights that no one in Taiwan has ever seen before.
Li Xiaoshi will take a China Eastern Airlines flight this afternoon to Nepal, then transfer to a vehicle to reach the base of Manaslu. The climb begins at around 500 meters above sea level and aims for the summit at 8,163 meters. The ascent is expected to take 81 days, and he will have to overcome harsh conditions such as strong winds and ice-covered rocks to reach the top. The climbing team includes him, visual artist Lin Weiweng, and mountaineer Chen Keming, who will document the journey in a documentary.
Speaking about this expedition, Li Xiaoshi emphasized that “Mazu will not leave his side.” Before departure, he also returned to his hometown to pray and seek Mazu’s blessing. He said that although Manaslu is not as high as Mount Everest, its harsh cold weather and extremely challenging climbing conditions — even requiring training in ice climbing techniques — have led world mountaineers to call it the “most difficult peak to conquer.” No one from Taiwan has ever successfully reached its summit.
Although every climb demands tremendous physical effort and often involves life-or-death situations, Li Xiaoshi, now 55 years old, has set an ambitious goal: “In my lifetime, I wish to take Mazu to the world’s 14 most famous mountains!”