CPPCC Members Jin Feibao and Fei Xuan Revealed Their Latest Expedition Plan: Hiking Across the Amazon on Behalf of China in July.
Jin Feibao and Fei Xuan, who have successfully completed two parts of their “Expedition Trilogy,” revealed their latest plan yesterday: in July this year, the two explorers from Yunnan will represent China in the first-ever attempt to hike across the Amazon Plain. The over 6,700-kilometer-long Amazon River will welcome new conquerors.
Fei Xuan said that they had previously completed the “2008 First Crossing of the Greenland Ice Sheet by Chinese Explorers” and the “2009 Desert Exploration Across the Sahara in Africa to Focus on Global Desertification.” Jin Feibao added that during the 2009 Sahara crossing, they discovered two large gold mines and reported their geographic coordinates to China’s geology and mineral resources authorities. Agreements for development have since been signed. Last year, they rode bicycles through ASEAN as envoys, contributing to promoting Yunnan and Kunming. He expressed satisfaction that although he was on the road as an envoy last year during the Two Sessions, two proposals he submitted had already borne fruit. One was the recommendation to bring back the remains of Chinese Expeditionary Force soldiers for repatriation, which was implemented by the end of last year and received strong international response. The other proposal was to establish a public bicycle system in Kunming to promote low-carbon and environmentally friendly travel. This was put into practice earlier this year. “As a CPPCC member, my greatest sense of achievement comes from seeing every proposal implemented and meeting the needs of social development.”
Jin Feibao said, “The Amazon River stretches 6,751 kilometers from source to mouth, and the expedition is expected to take 70 to 80 days. I hope to become the first Chinese person to cross the Amazon.” Currently, there are fewer than 16 people worldwide who have completed a full crossing of the Amazon. The two explorers from Yunnan will conduct a full hiking exploration of the ecological environment and local cultures.
The Amazon River originates in the Andes Mountains in central Peru, stretching 6,751 kilometers in length and accounting for 20% of the world’s freshwater supply. The Amazon Plain, formed by the river’s sedimentation, spans 7.05 million square kilometers, mostly within Brazil. The Amazon rainforest still holds many mysteries, with many major tributaries yet to be fully explored. Of the approximately 15,000 species in the Amazon, thousands of birds and mammals remain uncategorized. The region also boasts an astonishing variety of insects, including more than 1,800 species of butterflies and over 200 species of mosquitoes, along with an incredibly high number of fish species. These include piranhas, tambaqui, arapaima, anostomus, piraiba, and electric eels—so diverse that even biologists struggle to identify them all. “CCTV and many global media outlets will closely follow this expedition.”
This year, Jin Feibao has submitted three proposals: to build the most influential international brand of Yunnan—the Zheng He brand. “This year, I also plan to follow the uncompleted voyages of Zheng He, traveling to some parts of Africa while promoting the spirit of the mountains and the sentiments of the plateau.”