[attach]526349[/attach]
Shenlong proposed to his girlfriend near Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5,200m.
"Will you marry me!" In a narrow mountain valley at the foot of Mount Everest, 5,200m above sea level, where even speaking loudly is a struggle, Shenlong mustered all his strength to shout these four words to Echo. Sunlight shone over the icy peaks onto them. The ring was slipped onto Echo’s left middle finger, with six close friends by their side, witnessing their happiness at this moment. Two travel-loving Shanghainese, who met and fell in love during their journeys starting from Shanghai, chose Tibet—the place they most longed to visit—as the backdrop for their engagement under the witness of sacred mountains. After three years together, their love finally bore fruit.
Proposing in the most desired place
Asking a colleague to secretly measure ring size
Shenlong and Echo had been together for three years. On Valentine’s Day three years ago, Shenlong met her during a lake-circling trip around West Lake. During the May Day holiday that year, the two climbed Jinziding together, where Echo agreed to be with Shenlong. After that came trips to Dayushan Island, Cangnan, Cambodia... As travel enthusiasts, they passed through one stop after another, eventually setting their sights on Tibet, 4,300 kilometers away. "For anyone who loves to travel, Tibet is probably the most dreamed-about destination. We decided to go to Tibet two months in advance, and that’s when I knew it was time to propose."
To propose, you need a ring. To buy a ring, you need to know the ring size. Shenlong turned to Echo’s friend for help. "Who would’ve thought that friend was too direct, asking right away 'What size ring does she wear?' Not only did I not get the info, I almost blew my cover, so I had to call her boss and colleagues for help." To get the ring size without the bride-to-be finding out, the entrusted colleagues played a ring-swapping game with Echo, trying on several different sizes until they finally figured out her size.
The proposal process was dramatic and hilarious
A happy ending
With the ring purchased and the proposal speech prepared, Shenlong set off with unsuspecting Echo and their friends who were there to witness the happy moment. From Lhasa, they traveled through Yamdrok Lake, Shigatse, Dingri County, and Rongbuk Monastery... After days of bumpy roads and breathtaking scenery, they finally arrived at Everest Base Camp, 5,200m above sea level—the climax of their journey and the spot where Shenlong had planned to propose.
Shenlong and his friends stepped out of the car. At minus 30 degrees Celsius, the cold was unbearable, with gusts of wind blowing stones around. Suffering from mild altitude sickness, the only sounds were footsteps on gravel and everyone’s labored breathing as they tried to balance. They walked toward Everest—though still far away, both body and heart felt closer with every step. Echo walked ahead alone, while Shenlong stayed a few steps behind. "If we keep going, I won’t have the energy. This is the perfect moment to propose."
Shenlong walked up to Echo, took the ring box from his jacket pocket, and got down on one knee. Unexpectedly, Echo turned and started to walk away. Puzzled, Shenlong froze, while friends a few meters away grew anxious and quickly called out to her. Shenlong chased after her with the ring, but she was also too tired to walk and simply sat down on the ground. Shenlong got down on one knee again and shouted, "Will you marry me!" Seeing how breathless he was, Echo finally extended her hand, and the ring slid onto her middle finger. Ironically, despite all the sneaky ring-size testing, the ring turned out to be slightly too small—it wouldn’t come off. Friends rushed to help, but only made things worse, accidentally knocking the ring to the ground. After searching the gravel for a long time, the engagement ring was finally found and placed back on Echo’s finger. And thus, a romantic and hilarious proposal ceremony ended happily.
Later, in an interview, Shenlong said that although he had prepared a heartfelt speech in Shanghai, at that moment, his mind went blank. "When I said 'Will you marry me,' I felt incredibly emotional, with tears welling up." In front of the reporter, Shenlong said what he had meant to say: "Maybe I used to be a bit of a playboy, maybe my room used to be a mess, but that’s all in the past. Now, please marry me!"