Tumo Tu, Secretary-General of the China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF), stated that the minimum fundraising amount, distance, and duration have been scientifically determined and field-tested. The route features scenic and safe roads.
Fundraising Updates
Registration Guide
● Teams participating: 8
● Individuals participating: 108
● Funds received: 5,811.88 yuan
● Data from the China Youth Development Foundation official website
● Participant Requirements
1. Aged between 18 and 60.
2. Must raise a certain amount of funds: four-person teams (corporate/institutional) must raise 50,000 yuan; free-form teams must raise 2,400 yuan; individual male and female participants must raise 600 yuan.
3. Participants in the 40-kilometer category must provide a health certificate issued within the past year.
● Minimum donation amount deadline: August 20
● Registration deadline: August 15
● Online registration
http://challenging8hours.cydf.cn
● Hotline
010-64035547 010-64790590
● On-site registration
5th Floor, 51 Wangjing West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China Youth Development Foundation
As of yesterday, the official website of the "Challenge 8 Hours" charity hike showed that 140 people had registered. "The current registration situation is a significant improvement compared to our previous hiking event," said Tumo Tu, Secretary-General of the China Youth Development Foundation. He noted that combining hiking with public welfare, this challenge model draws on experiences from Hong Kong. Such events are still rare on the mainland, but the CYDF hopes to gradually promote this model here, making it a cultural norm accepted by the public.
Yesterday, Tumo Tu, Secretary-General of the CYDF, gave an exclusive interview to our newspaper regarding issues related to the charity hiking event.
The Challenge Aims to Spread Culture
Reporter: The challenge event has a minimum fundraising requirement. Has the CYDF set a fundraising target?
Tumo Tu: I believe the core of this model is not fundraising, but using this activity to promote the Happy Reading project. It’s more about helping people understand that their support for public welfare can be expressed in this way — it’s a form of cultural dissemination. In the future, we won’t just fundraise for the Happy Reading project, but for many others as well. This model was introduced from Hong Kong, where it doesn’t directly target beneficiaries but rather donors.
Hong Kongers Are Enthusiastic About Charity Hikes
Reporter: Regarding this model, many people have questions — for example, why do participants need to both donate money and put in effort? How well-known is this model in Hong Kong?
Tumo Tu: On the mainland, this is a new type of public welfare product. But in Hong Kong, hiking has become a culture that combines fitness and public welfare. Both well-known and lesser-known charitable organizations — such as the Hong Kong Operation Santa Claus and Oxfam Trailwalker — use this method for fundraising. It’s common to see posters for charity hikes on the streets, advertising how many kilometers will be completed in a few hours, and quite a few people sign up. The public also enjoys hiking. Sometimes on weekends, teachers will treat students to a walk along the Oxfam Trailwalker route. Hong Kong’s charitable organizations have brought this approach to the mainland. For this challenge, Operation Santa Claus is also collaborating with us, and they will bring some participants from Hong Kong.
Self-initiated registrations have seen a significant increase
Reporter: The format of a charity hiking race is not common on the mainland. Does the China Youth Development Foundation have experience in successfully organizing such an event?
Tu Meng: The earliest instance was when the Guangdong Youth Development Foundation collaborated with a Hong Kong public welfare organization to adopt this model. In 2007, the year of Hong Kong’s handover, the China Youth Development Foundation began working with Hong Kong’s Operation Santa Claus to organize a hike from Hong Kong to Beijing. Since then, we’ve learned from Hong Kong’s model, and later organized a trek from Jiangxi along the route of the Red Army’s Long March to northern Shaanxi, which took over 300 days. Along the way, a Hope Primary School was built in each county we passed through, and we even exceeded our fundraising target. We previously held a charity hiking race in Beijing as well, but the number of participants was relatively small. This time, online self-registration has seen a significant increase compared to the last one.
The race format has been tested in real-world conditions.
Reporter: The challenge sets distances of 25 km and 40 km, with a requirement to complete them within 8 hours. Is this scientifically sound?
Tu Meng: This challenge draws on existing formats from Hong Kong. The minimum fundraising threshold, age limits, distance and time regulations, and route selection have all been scientifically measured and field-tested—it’s a case of “pragmatic borrowing.” The route for this challenge features beautiful scenery and good air quality. While there are some gentle slopes, the difficulty is not high. Most importantly, the risks are minimal and safety is ensured.
■ Sidebar
Oxfam Trailwalker
Oxfam Trailwalker is Hong Kong’s largest hiking fundraising event. Since 1986, more than 73,000 participants have raised over HK$365 million for the cause. The event is designed as an extremely challenging team activity, with no individual category. Participants must form teams of four and complete the 100 km course within 48 hours.
This year, each participating team must raise a minimum of HK$6,800, while designated fundraising teams are required to raise at least HK$70,000.
■ Case Study
77-Year-Old Wants to Join But Is Too Old
“I can carry over 100 pounds, I’m in great shape—can’t you make an exception for the age limit?”
During the registration period for the challenge, the China Youth Development Foundation’s hotline received a call from 77-year-old Huang Haode.
The elderly man has always been generous, donating nearly a thousand books to Wenchuan, Yushu, and many other impoverished strangers.
“People have given me a lot of honors—Top Ten Figures, Love Ambassador—they’ve built me up, and I always want to do something beneficial for the country and its people.” Upon seeing the “8-Hour Challenge” charity hike, he called to register. “It’s a pity—I’m 17 years over the age limit.”
Huang said that when he was two, his mother led him begging, and many of the elderly who once gave him half a steamed bun or a bowl of porridge have passed away. He has always wanted to do good deeds to repay society.
He said he’s not afraid of not finishing the 25 km—his health is generally good, and he pays attention to wellness. “I do good deeds with a positive mindset.”
“A bit disappointed—I really wanted to do some good this time.” Huang always hopes that no matter what, doing good won’t exclude him. He thinks this event is great. Although he can’t participate, he plans to recommend it to business friends around him, hoping to encourage others to sign up.
Yesterday, a staff member from the China Youth Development Foundation explained that the age limit of 18 to 60 is mainly for safety reasons. Children under 18 often cannot make decisions independently, and the health conditions of seniors over 60 are more complex. The 25 km and 40 km challenges also present certain levels of difficulty.
“Actually, those who can’t participate can still directly donate to the Happy Reading program,” the staff member said. Because the venue is relatively open, if someone fails to register but still wants to hike, the foundation won’t stop them—it just hopes they’ll take care of themselves.
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