The fast pace, high pressure, and irregular lifestyle of modern urban living pose various health risks. To relieve stress and improve physical fitness, an increasing number of people in Chongqing have become “night hikers,” embracing the joy and de-stressing benefits of hiking at night as a healthy form of “nightlife.”
Chongqing, also known as the Mountain City, is built against hills with uneven roads, staggered buildings, and unique terrain that creates a variety of walking paths. Located in Yuzhong District, the Eling Park hiking trail is a popular spot among many “night hikers.” On the evening of the 27th, a reporter visited Eling Park to learn more.
Walking up the hiking trail, the reporter met Li Sha, a beautiful woman from Chongqing who was hiking with her husband. “The fast-paced work life in the city is suffocating,” said 28-year-old Li Sha, whose busy job and life left her physically and mentally exhausted. With no time to exercise during the day and household chores after work, she found her physical condition deteriorating and becoming prone to illness. To protect her health, she chose to hike after work.
“After falling in love with night hiking, I enjoy charging straight toward the mountaintop. Standing at a high point, gazing at the night view of the Mountain City, and shouting into the colorful city lights helps me release all the day’s stress. It feels incredibly refreshing, and it’s also my way of de-stressing,” Li Sha said. She has been night hiking for over four months, and her husband has also joined her, encouraged by her.
Feng Xiaoye, 38, works in trust management. The high-pressure job, frequent social engagements, drinking, and smoking have gradually squeezed out his exercise time. Once, while hiking with friends, he couldn’t continue halfway, which made him suddenly realize that his body, long out of shape, could no longer compare to his younger days. Introduced by a friend, he tentatively started night hiking and unexpectedly fell in love with this form of exercise after just one or two tries.
“As long as I don’t have social engagements at night, I go out for a night walk. I meet up with two or three friends, stroll along mountain trails, feel the grass-scented mountain breeze, chat while climbing, which not only strengthens friendships but more importantly, helps me stay fit,” Feng Xiaoye said.
Shared interests have led to the emergence of many “night hiker” communities in Chongqing. One such group is an online circle called “City Footprints.” Zhang Shu, one of the founders of “City Footprints,” told reporters that every Tuesday and Thursday, over a hundred people gather for night hikes, choosing routes of 10 to 12 kilometers—some near mountains, some by water, and others around parks—measuring the city around them step by step. “Loving a city means not only cherishing its pure, busy daytime charm but also its glamorous, relaxed nightlife,” Zhang Shu said.
As an economical and healthy leisure activity, night hiking is gradually gaining popularity among urban dwellers. Most “night hikers” in the city are young and middle-aged individuals who hustle daily for a living, enduring various pressures. Night hiking serves as a buffer and regulator for their pursuit of a better life, as well as a joyful and unique form of “nightlife.”