On February 18, 2017, an extraordinary day for the Jingxi Ancient Road. Following the "China Ancient Road Marathon Launch Ceremony and China Top Ten Ancient Roads Selection Press Conference" held on the 17th at the Beijing National Convention Center Auditorium, the "2017 China Ancient Road Marathon" event, jointly organized by the International Ancient Road Alliance, China National Travel Magazine, and Green Field Outdoor, commenced at the Shuiyuzui Ancient Road Post Station in Mentougou.
As a member of the China division of the International Ancient Road Alliance, the Jingxi Ancient Road Association assisted in the organization of this event.
The event invited nearly 40 of China’s top travelers, explorers, and outdoor enthusiasts from other provinces. Though modest in size, its significance was profound.
Dressed in red climbing gear, striding confidently on a prosthetic leg — this extraordinary figure is China’s renowned mountaineering hero, Xia Boyu. In 1975, while attempting to climb Mount Everest, he gave his sleeping bag to a teammate who had lost theirs, resulting in both of his feet being severely frostbitten and eventually amputated below the knees. Over the past 40 years, he has endured amputation, cancer, and numerous major surgeries, yet with his strong physical constitution, indomitable will, and optimistic outlook, he continues to climb icy peaks. In 2011, he won two gold medals at the first Paraclimbing World Championships and was named a "CCTV Sports Personality of the Year."
Holding a silver walking stick, wearing sunglasses, and smiling as he walks with unwavering focus — this celebrated figure is blind traveler Cao Shengkang, 43 years old. Starting in 2012, armed with just a white cane, he embarked on a wild solo journey around the globe, becoming the first blind person to travel the world independently. Along the way, he faced unimaginable challenges: blindness, lack of foreign language skills, and traveling alone. He overcame them all in his own way. Over four years, he visited more than 30 countries across five continents; he climbed Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro; and became China’s first blind sailor and windsurfer. He holds a firm belief: "Though I cannot see the world, I want the world to see me!" "I want to feel the world with my hands, nose, ears, and embrace life with my heart!"
Liu Tiantian, one of China’s earliest professional explorers, is now 75 years old. In May 1984, in response to a foreigner’s challenge to hike the entire length of the Great Wall, and to bring honor to the Chinese people, he resigned from his job at the Urumqi Railway Bureau in Xinjiang and set out alone from Jiayuguan to hike the Great Wall on foot. It took him two years to complete the journey, making him the first person in the world to hike the entire Great Wall on foot. Since then, he has been unstoppable. Over 30 years, through countless dangers and brushes with death, he miraculously completed over 40 expeditions. His footsteps have covered the entire northwest region of China, forging a path beyond imagination. Over decades of exploration, he took nearly 10,000 photos, wrote 2.3 million words of expedition diaries, and collected over 6 million words of research material. These photos and diary entries are incredibly rich and hold high academic value in history, geography, economics, politics, culture, and archaeology. He has set one exploration record after another, drawing global attention from the exploration community. Hundreds of newspapers, magazines, and TV stations around the world have reported on his expeditions, earning him the title "A Rare Traveler and Explorer of the 20th Century."
Huadiao, a Chinese polar explorer and China’s foremost extreme overland adventurer, is affectionately called "Brother Hua" by outdoor enthusiasts. He began outdoor travel at the age of 46 in 2004, having scaled multiple 8,000-meter-plus snow-capped mountains, hiked through the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, and traversed alone some of China’s most treacherous regions such as the "Sea of Death" Taklamakan Desert, the "Forbidden Zone" Hoh Xil, and the Lop Nur Desert. He has one unwavering goal: to discover the beauty of China’s polar regions. With his unembellished photographic technique, he takes us into a magical world!
Walking along the Jingxi Ancient Road, listening to explanations from ancient road experts, everyone felt as though they were strolling through a corridor of history, catching glimpses of historical figures and stories that unfolded on these paths, transforming the walk into more than mere movement — it became a cultural experience. They marveled: "The ancient road journey is even more fascinating this way!"
On March 25, 2017, the first leg of the Jingxi Ancient Road Marathon officially commenced. Everyone expressed their eagerness to lead teams and lend support!
After the hike, participants enthusiastically engaged in a discussion about ancient road culture, where guests freely shared their passion for promoting ancient road heritage.
Today, the presence of several top figures from China’s travel and exploration circles has shone a bright light on the Jingxi Ancient Road. This event further demonstrates the national significance and value of the Jingxi Ancient Road. We hope all those who are looking forward to the Jingxi Ancient Road Marathon are ready!
March 25 — we’re waiting for you!