At 61, Jin Shiming strides vigorously along Xingsha Avenue
Covering 90,300 kilometers—equivalent to more than two times around the Earth—the distance was completed entirely on foot by him alone. Over the past nearly eight years, he has passed through 2,125 counties, and plans to complete walking through all counties in China within another three years to create a Guinness World Record. On the morning of April 26, now 61, wearing large-framed glasses and carrying a large travel backpack, he walked vigorously along Xingsha Avenue. Changsha County became his 2,126th county. He is Jin Shiming, known as the “No.1 Walker of China” and “China’s Forrest Gump.”
Keeping up morning and evening runs built a strong physique
A native of Baoji, Shaanxi, Jin Shiming became an orphan at a young age. In 1969, after the early deaths of his parents, he wandered alone to Fukang City in Xinjiang and became a coal miner. Always fond of sports, he kept up daily morning and evening runs in his spare time, which built up his strong physique.
In 2005, Jin Shiming retired from the coal mine. At that time, a wave of fitness enthusiasm was sweeping the nation, and he came up with the idea of hiking 15,000 kilometers to Beijing. On August 16, he set off with two running friends from Fukang. However, the two companions gave up in Lhasa due to altitude sickness. Instead of turning back, he chose to press on.
In November 2006, he finally reached Beijing, completing the over-15,000-kilometer hike—more than the diameter of the Earth. But the challenges never stopped. After a brief rest in Beijing, Jin Shiming set himself a higher goal and continued on.
Travel north in summer, going as far as the Arctic Village in Mohe
For safety, Jin Shiming’s treks follow strict patterns: in terms of timing, he walks only during daytime; seasonally, he goes north in summer and south in winter; and route-wise, he sticks to national, provincial, and county roads, avoiding small paths. Carrying a backpack and trekking pole, he has traversed the Altun Mountains and the Greater Khingan Range, reaching as far north as the Arctic Village in Mohe, and as far south as Sanya’s Tianya Haijiao.
For Jin Shiming, solo trekking is not as monotonous as outsiders might think. Walking while exploring, he has left footprints at many tourist spots. He also took part in international marathons “whenever possible,” five times in total, and even secured second place in the senior group at the Xiamen Marathon in 2007.
Never encountered bad things, only good people and kindness along the way
By August 16 of this year, Jin Shiming will have been walking for a full eight years. “Maybe I’ve been very lucky. Along the way, I’ve never run into any bad situations—only good people and good deeds,” said Jin Shiming. The cost of his trekking is mostly covered by his monthly retirement salary of about 1,800 yuan. He stays in cheap small hotels and eats just enough to get by. “Often, kind-hearted people donate clothes or offer lodging. All 64 pairs of shoes I’ve worn while walking were given to me by sports departments or good Samaritans.”
This is Jin Shiming’s third visit to Hunan. After traveling from Shaoshan in Xiangtan to Changsha, he visited Xingsha for the first time. After a short stay here, he will head to Wangcheng, moving forward toward the dream in his heart. “It’s purely because of my passion that has kept me going all this time. And the journey itself allows me to take in the beautiful landscapes of our country and make many friends—that’s one of life’s great joys!”