The 2019 China Hiking Event. The Baise Geotourism (Lingyun & Leye) Station of the National Hiking Conference concluded successfully ...

    On April 28, 2019, the 2019 China Hiking Event. The Baise “Geotourism” (Lingyun & Leye) Station of the National Hiking Conference concluded successfully in Leye County, Baise, Guangxi. This marked the fifth time the China Hiking Event. National Hiking Conference had visited Lingyun and Leye, and the 52nd overall station in the series. A total of over 600 outdoor enthusiasts from across the country participated in this event, hailing from 18 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions including Beijing, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin, Yunnan, Zhejiang, Zhengzhou, and Guizhou.

The event was jointly organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, the People's Government of Baise City, and the Sports Bureau of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and hosted by the Baise Municipal Sports Bureau, the People's Government of Lingyun County, and the People's Government of Leye County.

Lingyun County, historically known as Sicheng, is under the jurisdiction of Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is a historic cultural city where four rivers converge within the urban area, and has served as the seat of a prefecture, government, and county for nearly a thousand years. The elevation of Lingyun County ranges from 210 to 2,062 meters. The county is home to 365 centenarians, a proportion that exceeds the World Health Organization’s criteria for recognized longevity regions, making it China’s first “National Longevity and Wellness Migration Base.” It enjoys the reputation of being a “Mountain Water Town, Ancient Prefecture Lingyun, and a Paradise for Living.”

Leye County, known as the “Capital of Sinkholes in the World,” is located in northwestern Guangxi, at the southeastern foot of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. It borders Tian'e and Fengshan counties of Hechi City to the northeast, Lingyun County to the southeast, Tianlin County to the southwest, and is across the Hongshui River from Ceheng, Wangmo, and Luodian counties of Guizhou Province to the northwest. The Fengshan-Leye Global Geopark covers a total area of 930 square kilometers and features 30 large and small sinkholes, making it the largest cluster of sinkholes in the world.

In this vibrant spring season of 2019, the footsteps of China Hiking once again stepped onto the land of Lingyun and Leye. Anyone with even a basic knowledge of geography knows that the terrain under our feet is karst topography, distinct from the danxia landform of Zhangye or the volcanic landform of Wudalianchi. Such landform characteristics accompanied our entire hiking journey — magnificent, spectacular, and unique, leaving us in awe.

On the 27th, the first day of hiking took place entirely within the Haokun Lake Scenic Area of Lingyun County, with a total route length of 19 kilometers. Starting from the Maodong Viewing Platform, the route proceeded eastward along the main road, passing through Baxianyan Village, then ascending the mountain, going through Chadong, Xiaolongdong, Yanshang, and arriving at the Nongguang Pier where participants took a 500-meter boat ride to the northern shore of Haokun Lake at Polou Village. From there, they continued along the lakeside trail of the scenic area to the Sanhe Visitor Center to conclude the hike. “The path was so tough, with constant ups and downs, I almost couldn’t keep going. My hiking teammates kept encouraging me. When I finally climbed over the mountain and saw the beautiful Haokun Lake — the sky so blue, the water so clear — I just couldn’t help but take in the scenery bit by bit. Unexpectedly, I made it to the end. It felt like a hike where my eyes were in heaven. It’s truly unforgettable,” said Shen Ling, a hiking enthusiast from Chengdu.

On the 28th, the second day of hiking took place in Leye County, with a total route length of 20 kilometers. Starting from the Cultural Square, the route headed to Luomei Cave, hiking 1 kilometer into the cave before proceeding 0.7 kilometers into Longyang Cave to reach Longyang Village. From Longyang Village, the route ascended the mountain toward Niuping Village, passing through the Tanjia Cave in Niuping, then traversing the Bewitching Cave and Linba Village. Finally, hikers passed through the Xiongjia East and West Caves to reach the finish line at Dengjiatuo Parking Lot. The cave sections totaled about 7 kilometers; natural ground routes covered 9.5 kilometers; and paved roads spanned 3.5 kilometers. This section represented the essence of the Geotourism journey, involving passage through six natural caves. “This is my second time in Leye. Last year, I admired the famous Dashiwei Sinkhole, which was spectacular. Today, having walked through six caves, it was truly worth the trip. I used to think caves were dark and dangerous — I’d never dare go in alone. But after exploring these caves, my perspective changed. The first three had hiking paths and were quite easy to navigate. The last two retained their most pristine state, featuring stalactites and underground rivers. The caves were damp and slippery, with some areas requiring crawling — but hiking through them with fellow participants from all over the country made it not scary at all. I also got to admire the famous Red Rose Hall Cave in Leye, which was truly spectacular and showcased the wonders of nature. I’ll definitely come back next year because I’ve fallen in love with this place,” said Zhang Haiqing, a hiking participant from Guangdong, in an interview with reporters.

The 2019 China Hiking Event. The Baise “Geotourism” (Lingyun & Leye) Station of the National Hiking Conference was the fifth edition of this event. In 2015, the organizing committee of the National Hiking Conference, based on the landscape resource characteristics of the two locations, established the theme of the “Geotourism” event to promote the world-class underground karst cave resources of both areas. The goal was to create a new model for outdoor leisure tourism economy, showcase the folk culture and stunning landscapes of Leye and Lingyun, and propel both regions to the forefront of the national fitness and outdoor leisure industry trends.

China Hiking is a key nationwide fitness series developed by the Chinese Mountaineering Association in recent years. To date, over 90 stations have been held, aiming to implement the “National Fitness Program Outline” and promote outdoor sports. “China Hiking” was officially launched in 2016 with the approval of the Chinese Mountaineering Association as a “hiking goal.” Based on the National Hiking Conference, it aims to complete hiking activities across all 34 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and special administrative regions of China. It seeks to comprehensively experience China through hiking — the healthiest form of outdoor sport.