Eight-year-old Zhang Yueting climbing
During the New Year’s Day holiday in 2012, Zhuhai’s first Island Rock Climbing Carnival was held on Dawanshan Island. More than a hundred climbing enthusiasts were drawn to Dawanshan’s stunning cliffs, traveling from all over to participate in this major climbing event. They “danced” on the cliffs, using the challenge of sheer rock faces to ring in the new year.
The island boasts abundant rock climbing resources
It was learned that besides climbers from Guangdong, participants also came from Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
According to Chen Jun, president of the Xiangzhou District Mountaineering Association, Zhuhai’s islands are rich in rock resources. Surveys found that the cliffs on Dawanshan Island and surrounding islets are climbable. Though these seemingly ordinary rocks may be common, they are rare treasures for climbers and athletes—currently unique to mainland China.
8-Year-Old Has Been Climbing for 4 Years
Among the climbers, a couple from Shanghai, known as Old Ding, arrived in Zhuhai early and stayed on the island for five or six days, climbing from morning to evening. “It’s just perfect here—the scenery, the weather, the routes, and the mood. Look at us, we don’t even want to leave,” Old Ding told reporters.
Zhang Yueting, an 8-year-old from Shenzhen, is the youngest participant among the climbers. It’s reported that despite her young age of 8, she has loved rock climbing for four years and has traveled across the country to take part in climbing events. Recently, little Yueting even inspired her father to join the climbing community. During the two-day event, Yueting fearlessly scaled a 25-meter-high seaside cliff in just ten minutes using the “bolted face climbing” method—a feat no less challenging than those attempted by adults.
Another highlight of the event was “China’s No. 1 Slackliner” Zhang Liang attempting to cross a high-altitude sea strait on a slackline.
Zhang Liang arrived on Dawanshan Island on the afternoon of January 1st. The challenge was originally scheduled for the previous day, but due to rough seas and strong winds, the approximately 25-meter-long slackline swayed violently. By 4 PM, there was still no sign of the winds dying down, so the attempt was postponed. If the winds ease today, the challenge will proceed.