Around 6 p.m. on the 20th, the swimmers arrived at the JiuLongPo Construction Plant Pier.
The rafting team took a group photo in Nanxi. (Photo from Chongqing Business Daily)
During the hot season, many people yearn to experience "striking the current in midstream, with waves halting speeding boats" in the great river, but do you know how many rapids, dangerous shoals, and whirlpools one must face? On the 12th, seven swimming enthusiasts from the Chongqing Winter Swimming Team—six men and one woman—signed a letter of commitment, challenging the "bare-hand Yangtze River rafting" event covering approximately 363 kilometers from Yibin to JiuLongPo Construction Pier in Chongqing. At 6 p.m. on the 20th, they successfully arrived at JiuLongPo Construction Plant Pier in Chongqing and shared with reporters the various dangers they encountered along the way.
15 people accompanied them for the final 24 kilometers
At 12:30 p.m. on the 20th, reporters met this group of swimmers who challenged the Yangtze River under the Yudong Bridge on Banbin Road in Chongqing. He Qingrong, 56, Yang Ju, 58, Yan Fenggui, 50, Chen Yong, 49, Tao Derong, 56, Shi Changjian, 56, and Xu Wei, 49—the only female member of the team—had an average age of 53. They would swim from here to Construction Plant Pier to complete the final leg of their bare-hand rafting journey.
"We set off from Jiangjin Bridge in the morning, rested at Yudong Bridge, and then swam to Construction Pier," He Qingrong told reporters while eating a steamed bun. He has had this dream for three years. Over these three years, he gathered companions for the feat while intensifying his training. "The members participating in this rafting all have plenty of experience. The longest has been swimming in the Yangtze for over 20 years, and the shortest for eight years."
On the 11th, the seven traveled by bus from Chongqing to Yibin. On the morning of the 12th, they entered the water at the confluence of the Minjiang and Jinsha rivers in Yibin City. Over nine days, they passed through Nanjiang Town and Jingkou Town in Yibin; Mituo Town and Hejiang County in Luzhou; Songgai Ancient Town and Baisha Town in Jiangjin District, Chongqing; and finally reached Construction Pier via Yudong in Banan District.
At 3:55 p.m. on the 20th, several members entered the water to begin the challenge of the final 24 kilometers. Another 15 winter swimmers spontaneously "accompanied them," with dozens more floating down the Yangtze, arriving at JiuLongPo Construction Pier by 6 p.m.
Six people took turns protecting the female member
When setting off under Yudong Bridge, Xu Wei, the only female member, looked somewhat tired. "The most exhausting was the fifth day—I felt I didn’t even have the strength to get ashore. But after resting well at night, my energy recovered a bit."
Although very tired, Xu Wei was the most joyful upon reaching Construction Pier. She excitedly hugged the female members who came to greet her as soon as she got ashore, completely forgetting her physical fatigue. As the only woman among the seven, Xu Wei received care from everyone. "Before each entry into the water, they would remind me of precautions." Xu Wei has trained in the river for eight years, but this was her first time taking on such a long distance. Each time she rafted, Xu Wei entered the water in the middle, with the six male members taking turns to protect her nearby. He Qingrong said, "She swims very well, but has no sense of direction—someone had to guide her."
When getting ashore at Construction Plant Pier, Yang Ju, the oldest, was a bit unsteady and slipped into the water twice, but when talking about the eight-day battle with the Yangtze, "Yang Ju immediately perked up again, reciting an impromptu poem on the spot: 'Striking the Yangtze, drunk with passion. Towering waves, nothing to fear. Body may be weary, heart is not. Reverence for life, safety above all.'"
Ten members of Nanxi Swimming Association provided escort
According to Xiong Mingyuan, a member of the Nanxi Swimming Association, on the first day of their rafting, when they arrived at Daluolong New Pier in Nanxi District, Yibin City, the Nanxi Swimming Association sent out 10 volunteer swimmers to provide escort, accompanying them to shore in Nanxi District to rest and stay overnight. During that time, members of the two swimming associations held exchange activities and visited the ancient streets of Nanxi.
On the 13th, the Nanxi Swimming Association escorted the rafting team to Jiang’an County before returning.
Rafting Adventure Story
Departure from Yibin, eat Ranmian noodles before entering the water
On August 11, the seven traveled by bus from Chongqing to Yibin. On the morning of August 12, they specially found a noodle shop to taste Yibin Ranmian noodles. To build up strength, each ate four liang (200 grams) of the noodles. "The taste is quite good, comparable to Chongqing’s spicy dan dan noodles," Chen Yong said cheerfully. After eating the noodles, they took a group photo at Hejiangmen Square before entering the water. Because the current was strong at the confluence of the Minjiang and Jinsha rivers, swimming was a bit strenuous, but other areas were relatively smooth, and the rafting team smoothly reached Luzhou.
Passing through Luzhou, nearly gave up after encountering a dangerous shoal
The rafting team arrived in Luzhou on the evening of August 14, disembarked near Guojiao Bridge, and stayed at a nearby hotel. That evening, they scouted the terrain at Guanyizui, observed the water conditions, and visited the night market. On the morning of August 15, they set off from Guojiao Bridge, facing constant dangers along the way.
About half an hour after leaving the city, they encountered a dangerous shoal where the waves splashed about three meters high, scattering all seven of them. Two older members were frightened and inhaled water.
"I was the first to notice white waves about 50 meters away, where the river surface just covered the reef area, creating the waves. Since I was scouting ahead, I quickly shouted to my teammates: danger ahead. Most teammates reacted and swam toward the center of the river. The current was quite strong there, and the two older members, Yang Ju and Tao Derong, were swept into the reef area and inhaled some water. We quickly went to rescue them and pulled them out of the reef area. By then, the team had scattered, with gaps of up to two kilometers between members, and it took us two hours to regroup," Chen Yong said. "After the incident, the two older members wanted to give up rafting, but after regrouping, resting onshore for a while helped them recover and continue."
"You must understand the water conditions in advance. Before the activity, I extensively researched the area online," said He Qingrong, who had rafted bare-handed from Luzhou to Chongqing in 2010 and already had some experience. Equipment is also crucial—reporters saw that each member carried one or two inflatable bags, along with swimming goggles, flippers, waterproof cameras, and sun-shielding masks. The reporter estimated each person’s gear weighed around 10–20 pounds.
Signing a "letter of commitment," families worry about members’ safety
Because it was the flood season of the Yangtze, with constant dangers on the river, all seven participants signed a "letter of commitment." The document stated that there was no organizer or responsible party for the event, and all signatories acknowledged the risks and voluntarily participated. Due to the extremely high risk, participants agreed to waive any civil litigation or financial compensation claims against each other, taking full responsibility for all consequences. Below the letter, each participant and their family signed their names and provided contact numbers.
At Construction Pier, Deng, the wife of Chen Yong, said she fully supports her husband’s hobby, "but I’m still very worried. I can’t sleep until I hear from him every day." Yan Fenggui said he calls his family after each entry and exit from the water to report he’s safe.
Lawyer’s warning
Rafting during flood season is dangerous, "letters of commitment" are invalid
Rafting during flood season is dangerous, "letters of commitment" are invalid
So, does such a "waiver of liability" actually have any legal effect? On the 20th, lawyer Zhang Jianbo from Chongqing Jingtao Law Firm told reporters that any "waiver of liability" or "letter of commitment" involving personal safety has no legal effect. "If a safety accident or other issues occur during this activity, the organizer will bear primary responsibility," said Lawyer Zhang. If it is a spontaneous gathering and an accident happens, the responsibility will be shared equally among the other participants.
Lawyer Zhang advised everyone to be cautious about participating in such dangerous activities. Meanwhile, police officers from the Chongqing Public Security Bureau's Marine Police Division also stated that river water conditions are highly unpredictable during the flood season, and urged citizens not to swim in rivers and streams for their own safety.