In 1960, China was "forced" to summit Mount Everest

　　Introduction: The Chinese Must Conquer Everest

　　In 1955, the Chinese first encountered modern mountaineering in the Soviet Union. At that time, the Soviet Union had a well-developed mountaineering program, but they lacked peaks over 8,000 meters. Given the special friendship between China and the USSR, the Soviets proposed that the two countries form a joint team to climb Everest.

　　With the help of the Soviet Union, China established a mountaineering team in 1956 under the management of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. It wasn’t until 1958 that plans to climb Everest began to take shape, and the team was transferred to the National Sports Commission under the leadership of Marshal He Long. Everest is located on the border between China and Nepal. At the time, there were territorial disputes between the two sides. During border negotiations, the Chinese side suggested placing the boundary line at the summit of Everest, but the Nepalese argued that Everest was entirely within Nepal and had nothing to do with China.

　　In Tibetan, Qomolangma means "Goddess Mother of the Earth," but in Nepal, it is called "Sagarmatha." The Chinese side once proposed giving the mountain a unified name, "Friendship Peak," but the Nepalese refused: "You Chinese have never even been up there—how can you claim it as yours?"

　　This rebuttal stemmed from the Nepalese being the first to reach the summit. On May 29, 1953, 39-year-old Nepalese guide Tenzing Norgay and New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary summited Everest via the South Col, becoming the first team in history to successfully reach the top. Tenzing Norgay’s achievement became a key bargaining chip for Nepal during negotiations. Moreover, Nepal was a dependency of India. At one point, Indians even claimed that the Chinese had never climbed Everest, and therefore, Everest could not be considered Chinese territory. Against this backdrop, China's quest to climb Everest suddenly became a solemn political mission.

　　Under such circumstances, China could be said to have been "driven to Everest."

　　At 4:20 AM on May 25, 1960, Chinese mountaineers Wang Fuzhou, Qu Yinhua, and Gongbu (of Tibetan ethnicity), after months of arduous climbing and overcoming countless unimaginably difficult challenges, finally safely reached the summit of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, at an altitude of 8,848 meters. Thus, the Chinese achieved the first-ever conquest of Everest from the North Ridge in the history of world mountaineering. Behind this momentous event lay many little-known stories.

　　The First Expedition: The Team Reached 6,400 Meters
 On the first expedition, the team advanced to 6,400 meters, setting up three high-altitude camps along the way and transporting supplies and equipment up to that altitude. On the second expedition, the team climbed over 7,000 meters, opening a “climbing highway” from the bottom to the top of the North Col, and established a camp at 7,007 meters. The third expedition, although three members set up an assault camp at 8,500 meters, suffered heavy losses. Peking University teacher Guo Ziqing died from altitude sickness, and more than 50 team members sustained frostbite of varying degrees. The final push was exceptionally grueling—some sections were literally climbed inch by inch, taking over 10 hours to ascend just over 100 meters from 8,700 meters to the summit.

　　Controversy: The Soviets Suddenly Withdraw

　　In the spring of 1959, Tibet experienced serious political unrest. The mountaineering team, which had just descended from the Northeast Ridge and returned to Lhasa, was urgently deployed to help quell the rebellion, forcing the cancellation of the planned May climb. Following this incident, the Soviets proposed postponing the Everest attempt to 1961 or later.

　　But by March 1960, China and Nepal were scheduled to hold border talks in Beijing. The National Sports Commission, racing against time, insisted on sticking to the original plan to summit Everest between 1958 and 1960, deciding to launch a solo attempt from the North Ridge in the spring of 1960.

　　However, as one problem subsided, another arose. In 1960, the Soviet government abruptly ordered all Soviet experts in China to return home overnight. The mountaineering project was instantly paralyzed.
Faced with this situation, He Long began considering a solo Chinese attempt on Everest. He reported the National Sports Commission’s decision to climb Everest independently to Zhou Enlai. Later, he invited Deng Xiaoping to meet with Zhou Enlai to detail the achievements of the Chinese mountaineering team over recent years and the favorable conditions for a successful Everest summit. Deng Xiaoping remarked, “The international community already knows about our Everest plan. If we don’t go now and let others climb it instead, we’ll lose the chance to set a world record.” Zhou Enlai approved the plan for a solo Chinese ascent.

　　Preparations: Procuring Mountaineering Gear Abroad

　　He Long was fully aware of the immense challenges of climbing Everest. To strengthen the leadership of the North Ridge expedition, he decided to dispatch Han Fudong, deputy director of the Military Training Department of the PLA General Staff, to Tibet as the frontline commander. One of Han’s first tasks upon arriving in Tibet was to organize the mountaineering team. Before Han’s departure in February 1960, He Long had a long conversation with him. He Long told Han, “We must conquer Everest. We’re not just doing it for the height—we’re also conducting scientific research. The British tried for decades and failed to summit from the North Ridge. We must both defy and respect the difficulties. Our New China is a country led by the Communist Party, and we must have that fighting spirit.”

　　Meanwhile, the Chinese mountaineering team’s report on their decision to conquer Everest independently quickly reached Chairman Liu Shaoqi, who immediately gave his approval. With this official endorsement for mountaineering equipment and supplies, He Long meticulously planned every subsequent step. He instructed, “We must buy the best gear to ensure the safety of our climbers.” At the time, Swiss equipment was the most advanced, so He Long decided to procure it from Switzerland. Approved by He Long, Shi Zhanchun, armed with $700,000 in special funds and accompanied by translator Zhou Zheng, flew to Switzerland to purchase mountaineering gear. Meanwhile, supplies from across the country were also being gathered for the team.

　　He Long reviewed the team’s proposed climbing plan and reported it to Zhou Enlai. Zhou made revisions to the plan. Due to the economic hardships and material shortages at the time, Zhou also personally wrote letters to relevant departments, asking them to assist in procuring and allocating the necessary supplies. For some essential climbing equipment not produced domestically, he wrote directly to instruct relevant departments to notify Chinese embassies abroad to purchase the items urgently and arrange expedited shipping, thereby ensuring the success of the first Everest summit.

　　He Long understood the importance of local government support. He specifically wrote to Zhang Jingwu, Zhang Guohua, and Tan Guansan, leaders of the CCP Tibet Work Committee and the Tibet Military Region, asking for their joint support in enabling Chinese mountaineers to summit Everest from the North Ridge. On the afternoon of March 10, 1960, the three generals—Zhang Jingwu, Zhang Guohua, and Tan Guansan—met with all the mountaineers in Lhasa, pledging their full backing.
Thus, with all preparations largely in place, He Long told Xu Jing, the deputy leader of the mountaineering team, “All guarantees are in place. It seems everything is ready except the final push. Summiting is now your responsibility. You must reach the top, no matter the cost. We must conquer Everest.” And so, the grueling 1960 expedition to Everest was about to begin, driven by the determination of these resolute Chinese climbers.

　　The Ascent: Two Lives Lost in Three Expeditions

　　In March 1960, the team arrived at Everest Base Camp as planned. The group comprised over 200 people, including more than 60 climbers, as well as meteorologists, team doctors, communication officers, journalists, and logistics personnel. The team planned to use a step-by-step acclimatization approach, completing the summit in four expeditions.

　　On the first expedition, the team advanced to 6,400 meters, establishing three high-altitude camps along the way and transporting supplies and equipment up to that altitude. Additionally, a reconnaissance team was sent to scout the North Col route—the first major hurdle on the path to Everest. Since the 1920s, countries like Britain and the United States had attempted to summit from the North Ridge, but all seven attempts had failed at the Second Step. As a result, foreigners had once claimed that the North Ridge was a death route, so treacherous that even birds couldn’t fly across.

　　On the second expedition, the team climbed over 7,000 meters, opening a “climbing highway” from the bottom to the top of the North Col and establishing a camp at 7,007 meters. Unfortunately, although the second expedition completed its objectives, Wang Ji, a young teacher from Lanzhou University, died from altitude sickness.

　　The primary goal of the third expedition was to scout the route to the summit assault and establish an assault camp, with plans to attempt the summit directly if conditions allowed. However, no one anticipated a sudden change in weather. Although three members set up an assault camp at 8,500 meters, the team suffered heavy losses. Peking University teacher Guo Ziqing died from altitude sickness, and more than 50 team members sustained frostbite of varying degrees.
As a result, as the altitude increased, the number of climbers able to continue rapidly dwindled. By 8,500 meters, only 14 remained. Even worse, oxygen supplies ran short, leaving only five climbers to proceed. These five were ultimately chosen as Gongbu, Wang Fuzhou, Qu Yinhua, Liu Lianman, and Xu Jing.

　　The Summit: The Chinese Have Arrived

　　On May 24, 1960, of the remaining five, only four were actually assigned to the final push—Qu Yinhua, who was part of the transport team, was not originally among them. Though designated as a transport team member, Qu also served as an alternate climber. By the time they reached 8,500 meters, the transport team’s duties were mostly complete, and Qu’s role was to prepare hot water and meals for the assault team. But while boiling water, he suddenly heard a shout: “Qu Yinhua, quickly replace Xu Jing—he’s not doing well.”

　　At around 12 noon, the four men arrived at the legendary "Second Step," a treacherous cliff approximately 30 meters high. The most challenging section was a nearly vertical rock face over six meters tall, with no handholds or footholds whatsoever. It was this very spot that halted the progress of countless mountaineers from China and abroad.

　　At the time, all four climbers had tried to scale it but had all slipped back down. Finally, Liu Lianman came up with the idea of forming a human ladder. With Liu Lianman supporting him, Qu Yinhua hammered two ice pitons into the rock, secured a safety rope, and using it, became the first to climb to the top of the cliff. The other three followed suit, and eventually they successfully breached the "Second Step."

　　But the cost was enormous: they had originally planned to cover the final 300-plus meters of Everest in nine hours. Yet just getting through the "Second Step" took them over five hours. Moreover, Liu Lianman had exhausted all his strength at this point. Qu Yinhua, having removed his high-altitude boots for easier climbing, ended up with all his toes frostbitten off—along with the flesh from the heels of his feet.

　　Left with no choice, Liu Lianman tearfully stayed behind more than 100 meters from the summit. Wang Fuzhou, Qu Yinhua, and Gongbu pressed on toward the peak. By then, it was already late, and although there was some snow, visibility remained poor. Still, the three decided to push forward in the dark because, according to the weather forecast, the current spell of good weather would end the next day. They had to reach the summit and descend before the winds and snow arrived.

　　Having not eaten for a long time, all three were suffering severe physical decline, and in some sections they literally had to crawl upward inch by inch... At one point, Wang Fuzhou asked Gongbu if they had arrived yet, to which Gongbu replied they hadn’t. They kept going, and around 2 or 3 a.m., when Wang Fuzhou asked again, Gongbu answered that there was no farther place to go—the next step would take them back down.

　　At this moment, Wang Fuzhou took out a slip of paper and wrote: “Chinese Mountaineering Team, May 25, 1960, three men reached the summit.” Then he took out the plaster statue of Chairman Mao and the national flag from his backpack. He unfurled the flag and waved it. Since the summit was barren, they used an ice axe near some rocks on the northern side to chip out a small recess—they couldn’t pry it loose with the axe so they kicked it out with their crampons. Once they’d made a niche, they covered the plaster statue, the flag, and the note with stones.

　　It was later confirmed that the Chinese Mountaineering Team reached the summit at 4:20 a.m. on May 25.
       On the descent, their feet were already completely unresponsive.

　　After Wang Fuzhou and the others left, Liu Lianman found he couldn't move his legs. Realizing he might not make it back, he decided to leave his oxygen for his teammates, figuring they’d likely have used up theirs by the time they returned from the summit. So he untied his oxygen bottle and wrote these words on it: “Comrade Fuzhou, I have failed to accomplish the mission entrusted to me by the Party and our motherland this time, but you will fulfill it. There’s still some oxygen left in this bottle—it will help you on your descent. Farewell.”

　　At noon, when Wang Fuzhou and the others came down, Liu Lianman was miraculously still alive. Perhaps it was because he had rested overnight, or perhaps it was the overwhelming joy of seeing his teammates return, but Liu Lianman suddenly stood up and embraced his companions tightly.

　　Liu Lianman told reporters that in 1975, when the Chinese Mountaineering Team scaled Everest again, he asked the climbers whether they had found the oxygen bottle he had left beneath a rock at 8,700 meters. They told him the bottle had actually been found at 8,800 meters—not 8,700—meaning Liu Lianman had been just 48 meters from the summit at the time.

　　During the descent from the summit, Qu Yinhua didn’t even know how he managed to walk back to Camp 8,500. “My feet were completely unresponsive. It felt like they’d shatter with every step. By the time we got to Camp 6,400, my feet simply couldn’t move anymore. Because my feet and boots were frozen together, I had to cut the boots apart with scissors just to free my feet,” said Qu Yinhua.
       Surpassing: Another Feat Four Years Later

　　In 1973, after nearly 14 years as a mountaineering coach in Tibet, Liu Lianman returned to Harbin to work when the mountaineering team was disbanded. The organization assigned him to a government office, but he insisted on returning to the fire brigade at the electric motor factory. Five years later, Liu Lianman was dismissed due to false accusations. After being rehabilitated, he returned to his former unit to work on civil air defense until retiring in 1993.

　　Four years after conquering Everest, Wang Fuzhou achieved another feat: reaching the summit of Shishapangma, which stands 8,012 meters above sea level. It was the last of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks to be climbed.

　　Then came the Cultural Revolution, which plunged China’s fledgling mountaineering endeavors into a slump. He Long, who was then the head of the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission, had hoped that China’s female mountaineers would set a record as the first women to summit Everest. The chosen date was 1966. “The supplies were already transported to 8,100 meters, and I had reached 8,100 meters too. But when the Cultural Revolution began, everything stopped,” Wang Fuzhou recalled with lingering regret about the abandoned effort.

　　In 1975, Wang Fuzhou returned to Everest as the Party Committee Secretary of the Chinese Mountaineering Team. He witnessed the historic moment when Pan Duo and eight other members reached the summit. In the years that followed, China’s alpine athletes continued to surpass limits and rewrite history. As a pioneer, Wang Fuzhou never stopped paying attention, and when talking about the Tibetan Mountaineering Team’s remarkable feat of conquering all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter-plus peaks over 14 years, Wang Fuzhou could hardly contain his excitement: “That’s a global feat!”

　　Due to severe frostbite, Qu Yinhua could no longer work as a lumberjack. In 1961, he was officially transferred to the Chinese Mountaineering Association, where he oversaw the national team’s operations and pursued further studies at Renmin University for five years. In 1965, he went to Xinjiang to help establish the national mountaineering team, dedicating himself to the task for over a decade.