New Urban Life in Kunming
There are probably two pages' worth of reasons to love Kunming, and that list would only grow the more we explore this city. As Kunming becomes more open and its economy and society continue to develop, the cultural life of its residents has become richer and more diverse. Niche outdoor activities such as rock climbing, bouldering, and caving are gradually shedding their mysterious aura and beginning to take root in Kunming. While offering residents a variety of recreational options, they also convey a positive and uplifting energy.
The Grain Rain is approaching, the best time for sowing seedlings, transplanting, and planting melons and beans.
"Eagle" and his group of friends particularly enjoy bouldering and rock climbing on this down-to-earth day, living life like geckos scaling walls. He says, “Because there’s a ‘grain’ character in this season, it feels especially familiar—as if we could take root, sprout, and grow up from the earth together, constantly moving upward!”
Having been exposed to rock climbing for over a decade, Eagle and 15 friends formed a rock climbing club. They practice regularly at a warehouse on fixed weekdays, and on weekends, they organize members to go bouldering and caving in places like Fumin. In their daily lives, they have various identities: office workers, forensic science students, yoga instructors… But the moment their hands and feet touch the rock wall, they share one common goal: to constantly challenge their own limits. No matter what difficulties arise, they never give up easily.
Eagle: A Happy Life of "Two Faces"
As a seasoned climber who climbs at least twice a week, Eagle says that if he doesn’t climb on the rocks every week, his bones start to itch. Years of climbing have given him strong fingers with calluses on the joints—not rough, but balanced in strength and flexibility, much like his life journey.
During office hours, Eagle is just like any ordinary employee in the city’s countless offices, steadily doing his part. But once he ties a figure-eight knot, puts on his climbing harness, and switches into climbing shoes, the adventurous and competitive side of his personality takes over, leading a completely different life. He says, “When I’m climbing, I always feel like I’ve returned to the earliest days of humanity, with an urge to keep moving upward and tackle greater challenges.”
Beyond that upward drive, there's also a subconscious sense of "willpower victory." “Climbing strengthens the body, the views from the wall are beautiful, and grabbing holds is thrilling—but what climbing gives me most is the joy of conquering my limits. You forget the constraints of everyday life, you can overcome psychological fears and push your own boundaries. For an individual, that’s a kind of success.”
Eagle says he’s a true “two-faced” person, completely different in life and work—but the city, with its great inclusiveness, provides him with companions and spaces for activities, gently accommodating his way of life.
Tashi: Life Should Be Like Rock Climbing
He’s not the poetic child prodigy Tashi. But his enthusiasm for life is no less than that of a poet.
Although he’s a forensic medicine student who often deals with various remains and human organs, Tashi is a humorous and optimistic person. His decision to study forensic science was originally “to better protect myself while doing outdoor sports.”
Though he’s only been in the climbing scene for four months, he has already reached a V5.10 grade. “This grade is the highest level that amateur climbers can generally reach. It requires climbers to skillfully master and apply various climbing techniques. But this grade is very subjective and hard to evaluate objectively.” According to him, the same route may have different difficulty levels for climbers of varying skill levels.
As for the highest grade he pursues, Tashi says, “There’s no upper limit to the V-grade. Some climbers aim to be the first to ascend a particular wall, some chase speed, some go for steepness—but my pursuit is just like the V-grade: limitless. I enjoy meeting new versions of myself through constant practice and challenges.”
Eddie: Letting the Mind Lead the Body in Climbing
Watching Eddie climb is a delight. When she boulders at Eagle’s climbing club, she often draws the attention of many guys below the wall.
Thanks to years of practicing yoga, she has excellent flexibility. With just two contact points, she can maintain a nearly 180-degree arc on a 15-degree wall. It looks effortless—her toes touching a hold about 1.4 meters away from her hands, as if dancing ballet on the wall—but her body is tightly tensed.
Eddie isn’t just a “wallflower” who practices only in safe environments. She also enjoys climbing with teammates in the mountains of Fumin. But she places great importance on safety, choosing ropes and protection based on her own condition. She explains, “In climbing, the general principle is to maintain three points of contact while moving the fourth. For safety, when moving upward, pull hard on a new hold a few times to ensure it’s secure before applying full force. The same goes for your feet—once you move up, press firmly first, make sure it’s stable, and that any sharp edges have been worn down, then shift your weight.” Every upward movement must be cautious and deliberate, letting the mind lead the body, thinking things through, and not rushing for speed. After nearly a year of climbing, Eddie says she’s undergone significant mental changes: “I’ve become calmer, able to stay composed when facing issues and think rationally about how to handle them.”