Family and others bid farewell to Chen Zhi
□ Follow-up to "Gale Blows Over 24-Year-Old’s Fatal Fall on Mount Siguniang"
● "Chen Zhi gave his life to this mountain. We want him to stay where his life was frozen, and also to warn more climbers."
● "Some online speculate that Chen Zhi was killed by a guide for money, while others think he went to the mountain to end his life—these are irresponsible claims."
On the morning of January 27, Chen Zhi, a 24-year-old tourist from Fujian, fell off a cliff near the summit of Siguniang Mountain's third peak. According to Yang Mou, a local villager who was with him, he may have been blown off the cliff by strong winds. The Siguniang Mountain scenic area dispatched 45 people to participate in the search and rescue operation. Finally, at around 3:00 p.m. on the 28th, his body was found at an altitude of 4,700 meters.
Yesterday, eight members of Chen Zhi’s family finally confirmed that the body was indeed his. Mr. Xia, Chen Zhi’s uncle, spoke to reporters on behalf of the family yesterday, stating that with the help of locals, they had buried Chen Zhi’s body at an altitude of 3,330 meters, allowing him to forever gaze upon Siguniang Mountain. At the same time, Chen Zhi’s family said they would not pursue any responsibility against the guide, Yang Mou. “The child is gone, and we don’t want to affect more families.”
He insisted on climbing up the mountain while on oxygen just to see his son
The night before last, the recovered body was placed at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. Yesterday at around 10:00 a.m., Chen Zhi’s parents, uncle, and uncle, supported by four volunteers, climbed up the mountain to make a final confirmation.
Chen Zhi’s father, suffering from altitude sickness, persisted in climbing up the mountain while using oxygen; his mother, too physically exhausted to climb, was carried up the mountain by volunteers so she could see her son one last time.
The volunteers set up a simple tent on the open ground, dressed Chen Zhi in new mountaineering clothes, and placed a stupa beside him. Because Chen Zhi’s body had suffered severe damage from falling from a height of over 700 meters, his face was unrecognizable. Mr. Xia held back his sister, fearing that seeing the details would be too much for her to bear. After careful examination, the other relatives finally confirmed that the body was indeed Chen Zhi. He expressed that staying on the mountain could serve as a warning to future generations
Yesterday afternoon, after a brief farewell ceremony, Chen Zhi’s body was buried at an altitude of 3,330 meters on the third peak of Siguniang Mountain. Mr. Xia said, “It’s a place where you can see the view of the mountain peak.” Originally, they could have chosen to transport the body down the mountain for cremation, but the family unanimously decided to let him remain on the mountain. Mr. Xia said that Chen Zhi had traveled thousands of miles to entrust his life to this mountain, and they wanted him to stay in the place that captured the moment of his life, as well as to use his story to warn more mountaineers.
Mr. Xia said that among Chen Zhi’s belongings, they found a 50-yuan ticket to the Siguniang Mountain scenic area. “Chen Zhi bought a ticket to enter the scenic area. He had already spent over a thousand yuan on mountaineering gear, so he wouldn’t have hesitated to spend these 50 yuan.” At the same time, Mr. Xia also stated, “Whether Chen Zhi met the conditions for mountaineering, as a tourist, he actually couldn’t assess that himself.” He promised to visit Chen Zhi’s grave every year
After discussion, Chen Zhi’s family decided not to pursue any responsibility against the guide, Yang Mou, nor any supervisory authorities, whether from a legal or financial compensation perspective. “The loss of life cannot be measured in money,” Mr. Xia said. “Chen Zhi’s death is directly related to the guide, but the guide’s remorse afterward and his active involvement in the aftermath showed us his sincerity and effort, which moved us deeply.”
He revealed that since Chen Zhi has been buried in Sichuan, they may not be able to visit the grave every year. The guide, Yang Mou, voluntarily offered to treat Chen Zhi as family and come to the third peak every year to pay respects. “Some people online speculated that Chen Zhi was murdered by the guide for his money, and others thought Chen Zhi went up the mountain to take his own life—these are all irresponsible claims,” Mr. Xia added. He also expressed gratitude for the selfless help of all the rescuers.