Recently, the 2nd 108° "Zen Trail" Entrepreneurs' Gobi Hiking Challenge was launched with great enthusiasm in Dunhuang. Under blue skies, white clouds, golden sands, and the rising sun, more than thirty entrepreneurs and startup founders were "fully equipped" and prepared to head into the desert. It is understood that the "Zen Trail" series of hiking challenges is the first entrepreneur hiking activity in China initiated by a private directors' circle, organized by the 108° Private Directors' Circle. The event aims to help entrepreneurs and startup founders experience the courage to overcome difficulties and persevere through challenges, to find resonance between walking and entrepreneurship in pushing personal limits and striving hard, to achieve both physical and mental cultivation, to enhance the scientific and standardized nature of decision-making, and to support the growth of Chinese businesses.
During the journey, although some had their skin tanned darker and others developed blisters on their feet, everyone remained highly spirited, supporting one another and pressing forward. Evenings at the camp, featuring scripture chanting and sharing of hiking experiences, allowed participants to cultivate not only their bodies but also their minds. Such collisions of wisdom and reflections on oneself are opportunities that require the right moment—and the hiking event happens to provide just that. Entrepreneurs who took part in the challenge all expressed that it gave them gains that are hard to come by in ordinary circumstances. Wang Jing, founder of the Qian Shu Shu hand-painted art furniture brand, said she achieved greater inner growth through the event: "By participating in activities organized by 108°, I have come to know myself more deeply, to look inward, and to overcome my own limitations. I hope to take part in more events organized by 108° in the future, to practice and walk with mentor Ye, to gaze at the stars, to perceive the greater meaning of life, and to create greater development space for my business."
It is understood that this challenge event took place from August 17 to August 20, lasting a total of four days, consisting of a Gobi Experience Day, a Gobi Struggle Day, a Gobi Challenge Day, and a Gobi Transcendence Day. Entrepreneurs were divided into small teams such as the "Enlightenment" group, retracing the footsteps of Master Xuanzang’s westward journey for Buddhist scriptures, hiking across deserts, saline-alkali land, and Gobi dunes, challenging the limits of physical strength and endurance. Participants had to endure the scorching sun, endless yellow sand, and daily hikes of over 30 kilometers, competing for victory in the event. The team with the shortest combined time to reach the campsite throughout the entire course won the team championship.
Dr. Ye Feng, founder and chief coach of the 108° Private Directors' Circle, stated that the reason 108° pioneered entrepreneur hiking events in China is that the circle believes hiking shares many commonalities with the struggles of entrepreneurs and startup founders—such as the hardships and monotony along the way, the difficulty and arduousness of overcoming obstacles, and the joy and sense of achievement upon reaching the goal. Hiking allows entrepreneurs and founders to achieve both physical and mental cultivation, aligning with the 108° Private Directors' Circle’s vision of helping improve personal qualities and decision-making abilities of entrepreneurs, and its commitment to making "decision-making a belief." In fact, since April 2015, when 108° began organizing entrepreneur hiking challenge events, this is now the second edition. In the future, 108° plans to organize even more hiking events in diverse formats, including not only desert hikes but also snow and ice hikes, creating opportunities in various environments and facing different challenges, allowing more entrepreneurs and founders to gain mastery over themselves, improve themselves, and draw more courage and wisdom for their ventures.
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