Banners flutter beneath the Singing Sand Mountains, and war drums beat in the eve of battle!At 8 PM on May 20th, the Rolling Call Platform of the 12th Xuanzang Road Business Schools Gobi Challenge (hereinafter referred to as "Gobi 12") ignited passionately, gathering 57 top-tier business schools and 2,500 Gobi participants at the Dunhuang Cultural Expo Park. They sharpened their skills and prepared to reconquer the Gobi. Against the backdrop of three magnificent Han-style structures and the bold, striking red Gobi 12 giant logo, the event’s sole strategic partner — the global SUV leader Jeep — unveiled its full lineup, including the Grand Cherokee and the ultimate off-road machine, the Jeep Wrangler, in a commanding display that heralded the rallying cry of Gobi 12!
A video showcase blazing across a 20-meter LED screen, stirring and rousing rolling call drumbeats, the thunderous cheers of business school Gobi participants, and the vigorous waving of flags... all ignited the passion of every Gobi participant on site.
As a veteran Gobi participant, Mr. Chen Daohong, Executive Deputy General Manager of GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Sales Co., Ltd. and the representative of Jeep — the sole strategic partner of "Gobi 12" — amplified the emotional commitment of the Gobi community: "We hope that Gobi participants, together with Jeep, can live out a stronger version of themselves in the Gobi, grounding their aspirations with strength!"
After a full day of safety training on the 21st, on the morning of May 22nd, over 2,000 Gobi participants from nearly 50 business school teams and 65 Jeep vehicles gathered in Guazhou, officially kicking off the 12th Gobi Challenge!
How many lives can one live in a lifetime?! In the Gobi, cheer for every shining “slash” in life
As the "spiritual discovery journey of China," the Xuanzang Road Business Schools Gobi Challenge is destined to be an exclusive top-tier event for only the “chosen few.” This new generation of business elites, known as “Gobi participants,” no longer measure life and achievement by narrow wealth figures. They believe that a truly strong life is one where, within the same span of time, you live the volume and quality of several lifetimes, using extreme experiences to create a life of extraordinary density and height!
Founders of companies worth billions, executives of Fortune Global 500 companies, renowned management professors, designers who have swept global design awards... Flipping through the brilliant resumes and astonishing achievements of these new-generation business elites, it’s not hard to see that each of them has lived at least two lifetimes’ worth of life, because one of those lives must have been spent in the Gobi, and one of those existences must be called a “Gobi participant”!
In the view of Qu Xiangdong, founder of the Xuanzang Road Business Schools Gobi Challenge and Chairman of the Gobi 12 Organizing Committee, the Gobi is a breakout in life. His “relentlessly driven” passion has forged his wide-ranging and rich slash-life identity as a “famous CCTV host / social activist / founder of Xingzhi Exploration / ecological adventurer.” As a loyal Jeep fan for 15 years and a Jeep owner, Qu Xiangdong’s brave exploration and enjoyment of diverse roles and his omnipotent, powerful feeling are precisely the spirit Jeep Grand Cherokee has always advocated, corresponding to the qualities a truly strong vehicle should possess: providing comfortable urban travel while effortlessly handling all kinds of rough roads.
And in the eyes of Gong Mingcheng, also a Jeep Grand Cherokee owner, a seasoned Gobi veteran, the General of the 800 Li Desert, and champion of the 108km Guanguan Trail in Taiwan, the Gobi is “the place where dreams begin, a proving ground where you taste all flavors of life. Life is not parallel, it’s serial — so of course your life should be more colorful and your living more diverse!”
Some see this diversity as an inner calling, others see it as a chance to save lives in the Gobi. Lu Le, a four-time Gobi veteran, Gobi 12 Emergency Rescue Commander, and Jeep Wrangler owner, co-founded “First Response,” which has become China’s largest event rescue and volunteer skills training organization. To date, it has ensured the safety of 905,140 participants in 212 events and successfully saved 11 cardiac arrest patients. Having provided emergency rescue support for three consecutive Gobi Challenges, “First Response” will continue to deliver top-tier medical and rescue support in the Gobi this year. By using innovative business approaches to solve the systemic gap in social emergency response, “First Response” secured strong investment from Tencent and became mainland China’s first certified B Corporation (B Corp) this year. Even Starbucks’ B Corp application was rejected, yet Lu Le and his “First Response” made it happen.
The excitement of career, life, and the distance beyond — Gobi participants understand it, and Jeep owners understand it too. The Jeep Strength & Passion Team, composed of Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler owners, also made a bold appearance, including many veterans from business schools such as CEIBS and Cheung Kong. They are Gobi participants, and they are Jeepers — this team has impressive strength and deep passion!
These business elites and Gobi participants who break through the “walls” of life all live a quality of several lifetimes within one, and this is also the value Jeep advocates. It is this high degree of value alignment that has led to deeper collaboration between the Gobi Challenge and Jeep, upgrading their partnership to make Jeep the sole strategic partner of Gobi 12 and part of the joint event emblem, propelling the Gobi Challenge into a brand-new Jeep era.
Mighty as a tiger swallowing thousands of miles, simply because it is namedJeep!Withextremeexperiences forging strength, letting passion take root in the Gobi
Outside the Rolling Call Platform, the grand parade of the full Jeep family fleet attracted Gobi participants to stop for photos and keepsakes. The mighty and inherently “iconic” Jeep Wrangler became a focal point for photos and test drives, while the well-rounded and powerful 2017 Grand Cherokee became the favorite of business elites. Jeep’s deeply professional-grade product strength left a deep impression on Gobi participants.
In front of the grand Rolling Call Platform, the flagship of the Jeep family — the inherently powerful luxury SUV Grand Cherokee — exuded quiet confidence. This aura and self-assurance are not superficial bravado like other SUVs, but the confidence that comes from 76 years of dedication to professional SUV manufacturing and inherent strength. With the only million-level SUV interior featuring full premium leather and five advanced soundproofing technologies, it creates an unmatched commanding presence, while its class-leading all-terrain capability gives it the confidence to handle the desert, Gobi flats, salt-alkali land, and other terrains of the Gobi.
The bold and iconic professional off-road machine, the Wrangler, also became a “star celebrity” at the Rolling Call site, with many Gobi participants posing in various ways for photos. During the event, it will join the Grand Cherokee in undertaking rescue and support missions. By day, they push forward resolutely with the team, becoming the most reliable guardians with steadfast resolve; by night, they become guiding lights for the “lone heroes” in the pitch-black Gobi, illuminating the path and racing across the land and sky together.
How many lives can one live in a lifetime? What is a truly strong life? It is the bold flair of Gobi participants who believe “no slash, no life,” and it is also the powerful core beneath the refined exterior of the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee — a heart forged through 76 years of professional SUV craftsmanship. Tomorrow, when the sun rises again, Gobi participants will embark on the journey of Gobi 12, and their strategic partner — the global SUV leader Jeep — will continue to accompany them in pursuing a life where career, life, and the distance beyond are all within control, exploring the infinite possibilities of life.