260 teachers and students will hike through a 65-kilometer grassland canyon
Tsinghua University EMBA Challenge teachers and students advancing through the valley. Photo by correspondent Liang Shenghong and reporter Cao Yong of our newspaper
Opening ceremony site
Tents at the campsite
Daily Gansu Net - Lanzhou Morning Post Zhangye News (Reporter Cao Yong) At around 7:30 p.m. on June 24, the opening ceremony of the Tsinghua University EMBA "Knowledge China" – Nature Edition Zhangye Challenge, co-hosted by the EMBA Education Center of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, the Publicity Department of the Gansu Provincial Committee, and the People's Government of Zhangye City, was held in Wanfo Gorge, Kanglexiang, Sunan County. More than 260 students and teachers from the EMBA program of Tsinghua SEM will complete a 65-kilometer hiking challenge over three days.
Before the opening ceremony, the Tsinghua SEM EMBA students and teachers participating in the hiking challenge had already set up their tents at the valley campsite. Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, the neatly arranged tents dotted the mountainside, creating a uniquely charming scene. At around 7:30 p.m., the opening ceremony officially began, with each class’s teachers and students successively raising their team flags and loudly chanting their slogans, the echoes resounding through the valley.
According to Qian Yingyi, Dean of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, this "Knowledge China – Nature Edition" course is another major event in Tsinghua EMBA outdoor activities following the "Tsinghua Centennial: Retracing the United University Journey" and the establishment of the "Tsinghua Outdoor Association." In this special classroom where the sky and earth are the classroom, hiking is the method, the body is the teaching tool, and the self is the teacher, a unique spiritual dialogue will also take place—exploring the meaning of life and the value of existence with the ancients whose lives are immortalized in the historical and cultural scroll of the Silk Road, and reflecting on the spirit required of contemporary entrepreneurs. Over the next two days, the teachers and students will undertake a 65-kilometer trek, traverse altitudes of 2,800 meters, endure 72 hours of arduous journeying, and experience four rare types of landforms—an exclusive Tsinghua course. Additionally, during this course, the renowned Chinese historian and historical geographer Professor Ge Jianxiong has been specially invited to give lectures to the teachers and students. Meanwhile, during this hike, the teachers and students also carry another mission and responsibility: to continue advancing the large-scale public welfare project "Candlelight Project," initiated during the "Retracing the United University Journey." They will personally support mountainous region teachers and spread the charitable spirit and positive energy of the Tsinghua EMBA community.
It is reported that the hiking route for this competition is located within Kanglexiang, Sunan County. The challenge is to be completed over two and a half days, covering a total distance of approximately 65 kilometers, with the route featuring a rich and stunning array of geographical landscapes including canyons, deserts, grasslands, rivers, and the Zhangye Danxia landform. During the competition, the challenging teams will pass through areas such as Kanglexiang Grassland and Daciyao Canyon. The participants are mainly senior executives from domestic and international large and medium-sized enterprises.