Taoist Priest Peng Lian and friends display the full route map.
From December 22, 2011, to September 14, 2013, Taoist Priest Peng Lian from the Taiqing Palace on Qingdao’s Laoshan Mountain spent 21 months traveling from Shandong through Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, finally reaching Afghanistan. He did this to follow in the footsteps of Qiu Chuji. Originally, in 1220 AD, Qiu Chuji set out westward from Laizhou, Shandong, to persuade Genghis Khan to reduce slaughter, enduring countless hardships to reach the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan. 793 years later, 42-year-old Taoist Priest Peng Lian overcame many difficulties along the way, not only tempering his will but also showcasing traditional Chinese culture and promoting low-carbon and environmentally friendly concepts. Peng Lian said he would write a book about what he saw during his journey. The World Hiking Association is also collecting and organizing photos and texts from his trip to apply for a Guinness World Record.
Hiking for 21 months to walk to Afghanistan
Early on October 22, at the Taiqing Palace on Laoshan Mountain, the reporter met Taoist Priest Yu from the palace. Taoist Priest Yu introduced that Taoist Priest Peng Lian was born in 1971. He set out from the Tai Xu Palace in Qixia City, Shandong, on December 22, 2011, and arrived at the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan on September 14, 2013, completing the journey. The entire trip covered nearly 30,000 li, took 21 months on foot, and passed through six countries.
Led by Taoist Priest Yu, the reporter met Taoist Priest Peng Lian, who is of medium height, slender build, with a beard and dark skin. Taoist Priest Peng Lian took out the “Route Map of Retracing the Journey West of the Changchun Real Man,” drawn by Lu Hong, Secretary-General of the World Hiking Association, and introduced it to the reporter: “At that time, I set out in December 2011, from the Taiqing Palace on Laoshan Mountain to the Tai Xu Palace, the hometown of the Changchun Real Man Qiu Chuji. After holding a departure ceremony, I began the hike.”
Taoist Priest Peng Lian said that among the 30,000 li, his luggage mainly consisted of an outdoor backpack containing personal clothing, while the sleeping bag and tent were provided by the World Hiking Association and friends. “I mostly slept in the sleeping bag, only choosing cheap hostels when it rained heavily.” He also said that he encountered many people willing to help him along the way, offering him accommodation and meals. At the China-Mongolia border checkpoint, an officer even gave him three pairs of military shoes. According to Taoist Priest Peng Lian’s calculations, the total cost of the entire journey was over 60,000 yuan.
Retracing a historical path to promote Chinese culture
“This westward hike was mainly to retrace the journey of the Changchun Real Man from Laizhou, Shandong, to Afghanistan to meet Genghis Khan, while also using walking to promote the concept of low-carbon environmental protection.” Peng Lian said that on the first day of the fifth lunar month in 1219, Genghis Khan sent people to Shandong to visit Qiu Chuji, hoping to obtain the secret to immortality. Qiu Chuji, sympathizing with the suffering of the people, regardless of his advanced age of 73, accepted Genghis Khan’s invitation. In January 1220, he led eighteen disciples from Laizhou, beginning his four-year, tens-of-thousands-of-li westward journey.
After arriving in Central Asia, Qiu Chuji met with Genghis Khan and tactfully advised him to stop killing, earning the respect of the Khan. “This is the story of Qiu Chuji’s ‘one word to stop killing.’” Taoist Priest Yu said: “Peng Lian’s westward journey is itself a form of cultivation, as well as a dissemination of Taoist and Chinese culture.”
The reporter also learned through investigation that after completing the journey, the World Hiking Association collected and organized photos and texts from Peng Lian’s trip to apply for a Guinness World Record. “This is not only a world record but will also allow people to rediscover the charm of hiking, thereby advocating this environmentally friendly and low-carbon mode of travel.” A staff member of the World Hiking Association confirmed to the reporter.
Surviving the “Death Road” with surprises and no major incidents
Hiking enthusiasts know that Mongolia is a paradise for hiking due to its beautiful natural scenery, but it is also a hell for hikers, with not only grassland wolves, desert wolves, stray dogs, and bears but also snow-capped mountains with year-round snow and sudden severe weather. “When I was crossing the Inner Mongolia Plateau, I happened to encounter an early spring cold snap. It snowed for five or six days, and the ground was covered in snow. There were no lodges in the wilderness, nor could I find a dry place to put my sleeping bag. Sometimes I had to carry a 40- to 50-jin backpack and walk until after two in the morning to find a relatively less muddy spot to sleep. My feet would be numb in the morning, having been frozen for too long.” Taoist Priest Peng Lian said that he saw some animals on the grassland that he couldn’t tell were wolves or stray dogs. These beasts did not harm him. He spent 70 days crossing Mongolia and reached Xinjiang in China.
Hiking 30,000 li—the hardships are imaginable. Taoist Priest Peng Lian told the reporter that he traveled through plains, snow-capped mountains, grasslands, and deserts. Even when kind-hearted people offered to give him a ride, he refused them all. Unlike ordinary outings, this journey was not only long but the weather was not always clear. He often encountered heavy snowfall, flying sand and rocks, and was drenched in heavy rain in the wilderness. Along the way, he wore out more than ten pairs of shoes. He walked 661 days to cover 30,000 li, averaging 11 to 12 hours a day, which means walking about 4 li per hour. The hardship is imaginable.
“I can overcome the difficulties posed by the natural environment, but the language barrier is the hardest to surmount.” Peng Lian said that the countries he passed through all had their own languages. He only spoke Chinese and very simple English. Buying a simple meal required gesturing for a while, and in special situations, he couldn’t explain himself clearly due to the language barrier, leading to being misunderstood and detained several times. “Later, I came up with a solution. When I arrived in a country, I would first take a bus to the Chinese embassy there and ask them to translate the certification issued by the Taoist Association into the local language. Then I would take a bus back to the border and start walking. When I was checked, showing this translated certification would make things clear, allowing me to complete the journey smoothly.”
Gaining international friendships along the way, moved and planning to write a book to recreate the historical path
“Along the way, I benefited greatly from the help of kind-hearted people.” Peng Lian said that although he faced many difficulties during his westward journey, he received assistance from government departments and the kind-hearted people he met.
“Although I only speak Chinese, it didn’t stop me from feeling the kindness of people in other countries.” Peng Lian explained that in Mongolia, he had also worried about local xenophobia, but the opposite was true. The locals were very warm, catching him off guard. “Often, people on the street would give me an apple. A few steps later, someone else would give me a piece of watermelon. By the time I reached the other end of the street, my hands were full of food they had given me.”
“At the tri-border area of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, there is a group of Chinese people living there. That place is called the ‘Shaanxi Village.’” Peng Lian explained that when he passed through Shaanxi Village, he was warmly hosted by the villagers. “It felt like meeting old friends in a foreign land. They were very welcoming to me as a Chinese person, and some villagers took turns inviting me to meals.” Peng Lian added.
As Peng Lian spoke, he showed the reporter the camera he carried with him. One photo caught the reporter’s eye—it was a happy photo of Peng Lian with two soldiers. Peng Lian said these two soldiers were stationed at a checkpoint in Afghanistan. “It was very difficult to get through customs in Afghanistan. After seeing my letter of introduction, they reported it up the chain for a long time before I could pass. But after clearing one checkpoint, I’d be stopped at the next. Eventually, the soldiers came up with a solution. They asked me to take a photo with them, and when I reached the next checkpoint, I showed them the photo of us together, and they would let me through.” Saying this, Taoist Priest Peng Lian smiled knowingly. “Although Afghanistan is still in turmoil, the people there are very kind.”
“Nowadays, most people’s understanding of Qiu Chuji is still limited to the level of Jin Yong’s martial arts novels. This year, the movie *The Forbidden Killing Order* was released, and more and more people have come to understand the contributions that our fellow Shandong native Qiu Chuji made to peace in Central Asia. My retracing of this historical path is not only to pay tribute to Patriarch Qiu but also to deeply experience the respect that the people of Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan have for Qiu Chuji, for this history, and for the friendliness toward the Chinese people. I want to write a book to document the emotions and experiences from this journey, recreating a true historical path for people.” Peng Lian told the reporter that when he was hiking abroad, some people asked if he was doing performance art. But when he gestured or had someone who knew a little Chinese translate the name “Qiu Chuji,” the other party would show great reverence. However, not many people in China know about this history. Peng Lian wants to let people know about this deed and also help many Chinese learn more about Central Asia.