“I Reached the Summit!” The nine-year-old coming-of-age ceremony may become history after the county-city merger. On the 22nd, it attracted 200 students to sign up, taking on an entry-level mountain hike — climbing steep slopes of up to 60 degrees to reach the summit of Qishan’s Qwei Mountain as a rite of passage into adulthood, then proceeding to Qishan Confucius Temple where they received traditional adult headwear to mark their coming of age.
Yesterday at 6 a.m., 200 young warriors from universities and high schools in the Kaohsiung area formed 20 teams, all full of energy as they gathered at the square in front of the county government building for a swearing-in ceremony. After receiving their flags from Magistrate of Civil Affairs Chiu Chih-wei, they set off for Qishan Sugar Refinery.
After the County-City Merger, It May Become History
Under the blazing sun and high temperatures, the 200 young warriors walked from Qiaotou Sugar Refinery along the Nanzixian River for about five kilometers to reach the hiking entrance. They cheered each other on with shouts of “Go for it!” Everyone was drenched in sweat. After climbing a slope, they faced a staircase of 941 steps that grew steeper with altitude — some sections even had gradients of 60 to 70 degrees.
Carefully stepping up one stair at a time, some youths with less stamina were soon out of breath. Their teammates slowed down and waited. “It’s okay, take a rest!” Team spirit kicked in. It took them an hour, but all 20 teams eventually reached the summit.
Climbing 60-Degree Slopes and Receiving Traditional Adult Headwear
The Starry Mountain Hiking Club of National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology gathered 30 members to join the coming-of-age ceremony. Club president Hsu Ting-yi said members were worried there wouldn’t be another chance next year, leading to an overwhelming number of sign-ups. They hope the future-elected mayor will continue the tradition. This year, due to the dangers in the mountains following Typhoon Morakot, the county government did not arrange hikes in high-altitude areas. The entry-level mountain climb attracted many high school students and helped cultivate their interest in hiking.
After reaching the summit, the 200 young warriors headed to the Confucius Temple, where County Magistrate Yang Chiu-hsing placed the traditional headwear on each of them and encouraged the youths to embrace enthusiasm, ideals, and responsibility in their adult lives, making them better and more fulfilling.