Blind friends touch a large bell with their hands.
Yesterday was the 22nd International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Ten blind individuals and one person with a physical disability, with the help of volunteers, hiked 13.74 kilometers around the city wall to challenge themselves, measuring the ancient wall with their feet and feeling its grandeur with their hearts.
Yesterday morning, ten blind individuals from the Medical Massage Zhi Jia of the Baqiao District Association for the Blind and one person with a physical disability in a wheelchair, with the help of volunteers, ascended the city wall from the North Gate. To fulfill the blind people’s dream of visiting the wall, the Xi’an City Wall scenic area specially arranged staff to receive them. Guide Yin Bei warmly introduced the site: “The North Gate is also called An Yuan Men (Gate of Peaceful Distance), the first gate of the ancient city. Looking south, you can see Xi’an’s iconic building—the Bell Tower. The high parts of the wall are crenels, the indented parts are embrasures, and the lower ones are parapets. The ground beneath your feet is called the rampart surface. In ancient times, six horse-drawn carriages could run side by side on the city wall, which is about the width of four lanes today…” The blind friends listened attentively, touched the wall with their hands, and occasionally asked the guide questions.
Mr. Guo Danfeng had been on the wall once when he was 17 years old. After losing his sight in a car accident in 2000, this was his second time back. “This time I feel particularly excited to be back on the wall—I can feel its grandeur and magnificence again,” said Mr. Guo as he touched the wall with his hand. The reporter noticed that volunteer Li Shulu was also bustling about—helping blind friends up steps one moment and assisting a friend with a physical disability to lift their wheelchair the next. “Whenever we have activities, Uncle Li is always eager to help. He’s been doing it for three or four years now. We all affectionately call him ‘Uncle Li,’” said one blind individual.
“By hiking around the city wall, we are strengthening our bodies, fulfilling the dream of ascending the wall together, and showcasing our team spirit,” said Guo Xinmin, head of the Medical Massage Zhi Jia of the Baqiao District Association for the Blind. At around 10 a.m., the group set off energetically from the North Gate, heading westward to the northwest corner of the wall and then turning south. On the wall, with the help of volunteers, the blind participants strode forward with determination. Some sang loudly, others jumped joyfully—their positive and optimistic spirit was truly admirable. By 4:30 p.m., the ten blind individuals, assisted by volunteers, had completed the full 13.74-kilometer journey around the city wall.
These blind individuals were able to hike around the wall thanks to their long-term commitment to walking exercises. “Walking on the city wall is much easier than my regular workouts!” said Liu Rong proudly. “Next time there’s a marathon on the wall, be sure to let us know—we’ll take on the challenge too!” said Guo Xinmin, one of the blind participants who completed the wall hike, to the reporter.