The boy, wearing a gray down jacket and with his head down, was using a small green plastic shovel to remove ice from the stone steps.
Father-son ice-shoveling efforts win praise from netizens
The reporter observed that on Weibo, a user named “Autumn Crystal 1005” wrote about being deeply moved by the young ice-shoveler on the Purple Mountain trail. It turned out to be a father-and-son team working together.
The post was likely made on January 1 of this year, and the user also shared a photo. The boy, wearing a gray down jacket and with his head down, was using a small green plastic shovel to remove ice from the stone steps.
It could be seen that the ice on the stone steps had accumulated quite thickly, already affecting the walking of hikers. Behind the boy stood a middle-aged man wielding an iron shovel. He was likely loosening the ice layer before letting his son clear it away with the plastic shovel.
Netizens left comments such as: “The ice on the Purple Mountain hiking trail in Nanjing has frozen over, and a child is using a small shovel to remove it. Such a young age, so full of love.” One netizen praised: “Good kid, everyone working together — ice and snow can’t dampen the enthusiasm of hikers.”
The ice on the hiking trail is still very slippery
A heavy snowfall a few days ago dressed Nanjing in a pristine white coat, and Purple Mountain was adorned with exceptional beauty. But with the continued cold weather and the trampling of hikers, thick ice formed on the trails, causing inconvenience to those climbing and making it easy to take a nasty fall.
Yesterday afternoon, reporters from Jinling Evening News came to the Long Neck section at Taiping Gate. Hiking up the trail to the observatory, this section of the path was free of ice, though there was some snow and ice on the adjacent slopes.
From the observatory to Xima Yao, there were still two to three hundred meters of road sealed by ice, with thick ice layers on the steps in this section.
Most of this ice had been trodden on many times and had become very solid, tightly adhering to the steps. Stepping on it was extremely slippery, and one could easily slip and fall.
Pedestrians could only walk along the narrow dirt path between the wall and the steps. Although the dirt path was also packed hard by foot traffic, they could hold onto the wall or the nearby iron railing to avoid falling.
But there was also a stretch of road with absolutely no place to hold onto. Moreover, there were layers of ice on the steps. This ice had melted and refrozen multiple times, had been trodden on until dirty, and was mixed with mud from hikers’ shoes — making it very easy to slip.
Visitors hope someone will remove the ice
When walking through this section, a reporter saw a man around 60 years old slip and fall with a thud.
The reporter helped him up and asked, “Sir, are you okay? Is this your first time falling while coming down the mountain?” The man replied, “I climb Purple Mountain every day to exercise. I’ve fallen more than once. It’s fine!”
Then, another young man in his twenties walked over to the reporter. He was walking nimbly, without any cautious movements. The reporter asked him, “The road is so slippery — how are you walking so easily?”
The young man smiled and answered, “My shoes are anti-slip. I also often climb Purple Mountain. So this bit of ice doesn’t scare me!”
The cheerful laughter of a group of girls caught the reporter’s attention. They were taking small steps, slowly sliding forward. Whenever they spotted a snowy scene, they would stop, strike a beautiful pose, and snap a lovely selfie.
They said that it rarely snows so heavily in Nanjing. With the snow not yet melted and no classes, they came out to take some beautiful photos as memories. One girl said she had already fallen more than ten times and hoped someone would remove the ice to make hiking easier.
Citizens say they often see people shoveling ice
Crossing from Yingtuo Village (south side of Zhongshan Mountain Villa wall) through the northern fire prevention trail of Purple Mountain, then following the hiking trail to the mountaintop. This is the route many hikers choose to reach the summit.
A man wearing only a sleeveless tank top stood out among the hikers. He told the reporter that he climbs the mountain almost every day if the weather allows. But with the recent low temperatures, he had thought there would be too much ice to climb. However, he said, “In the past couple of days, I often saw people shoveling ice here. The ice on the steps was removed piece by piece, making it much easier to walk. It’s not slippery anymore now — really have to thank them. Some steps had very thick ice, but clearing just enough space for one foot makes it much better.”
By the roadside, several shovels were left there. Citizens told the reporter that those were left by volunteers who shoveled ice, and no one took the shovels. If it snows again and ice forms, the shovels can come in handy.
Regarding route selection for hiking, it is recommended that those planning to climb Purple Mountain these days choose the Huatai hiking trail next to the cable car parking lot, leading up to the mountaintop. This trail has almost no ice on the steps, making the chance of slipping relatively low.
Due to the sunny weather during the New Year holiday a few days ago, part of the snow and ice on this section of the trail, located on the southern side of Purple Mountain, has already melted.
Ice will be cleared when weather is clear
Additionally, in areas with ice, hikers can hold onto nearby iron railings or walls to support themselves. As for footwear, it’s best to choose shoes with anti-slip features, such as professional outdoor shoes.
Called the Zhongshan Mausoleum Administration, a representative from the relevant department stated that the snow and ice on the mountain cannot be cleared in the same way as urban road ice and snow, as it may affect the vegetation on the mountain.
Due to staffing limitations, low temperatures, recurring freezing conditions, and the large area of the mountain, clearing the ice on the hiking trails poses certain challenges. However, they are making plans to remove the ice on the main hiking trails when the weather is clear.
He mentioned that at the entrances to the hiking trails, staff have also put up signs to remind citizens to be cautious when hiking in snowy weather. The staff also expressed their gratitude to enthusiastic citizens who voluntarily clear the ice from the trails.