"In one word, it's exciting. Zhang Qikai has a long stretch of sand dunes behind him, and his face is full of joy after completing the 22KM hike, "Whether it is the thrilling quicksand or some wading tidal flats, I feel full of passion and challenge in the whole process." ”
The two principals recalled the whole hiking process, from the initial mentality of "focusing on participation" to the "inexplicable" enthusiasm after taking over the banner of "Hailiang Education Team". "Of course, we are fortunate that we broke through the finish line in the first echelon with a time of 4 hours and 20 minutes!"
Let's follow the perspective of the principals and see what we have seen and heard along the way.
"Wow, seeing this vast Gobi, I finally came here!" Along with Zhang Qikai's emotion, He Lou also shared his long-term expectations for the Northwest Desert: In my life experience, I went to Gannan Qinghai in 2016 and saw a thousand miles of grassland, herds of cattle and sheep and wildflowers blooming freely, it was a beautiful trip. At that time, I thought what it would be like to go northwest, and I must have read in the poem that "the desert sand is like snow" must have been a very special feeling, so I have been looking forward to this Gobi trekking tour.
All the way to the west, when they first arrived in Dunhuang, He Lou, Zhang Qikai and a group of principals from Tiannan and Haibei, up to the post-60s and post-90s, participated in a unique team building, they were familiar with each other in laughter and joy, and agreed to insist on completing the challenge and "one step ahead" for the children. In Dunhuang, they will visit cultural sites in depth and embark on a 22km Gobi trekking trail.
Yangguan, an important pass of the Silk Road since ancient times, is located in the vast Gobi and has witnessed countless business trips and beacon fires. At the pass, He Lou left a photo with the "guards" and expected: "Ask for a customs clearance document today: permission to go out of the customs, go all the way!" In the Yangguan Museum, they saw the poplar Han Jian, witnessed the tenacity and tenacity of the "3,000 years" tree species in the Gobi Desert, and felt the wisdom of the ancients in governing the country and the country from the detailed reports recorded in these Han Jian.
The desert is lonely, the beacon is majestic, and the group has issued a sigh of "entering the Chinese textbook", "the lonely city looks at the Yumen Pass from afar" and "How many people have returned to fight in ancient times?", the loneliness and desolation of the border fortress and the pride and hardship of the border soldiers jumped in front of them. "Today refreshed a word - beacon, that is, beacon tower, raise fire at night and call beacon, and smoke during the day is called fire. He Lou shared her harvest along the way.
After that, they visited the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, spent three hours in the thousand-year-old Buddhist cultural holy land, felt the piety of the ancestors who opened the cave statues, and the splendor of the thousand Buddhas painted on the wall;
"The Gobi trek is the first time in my life, and every first departure takes courage. Before officially starting the hike, He Lou also felt nervous like "before the children's physical test". After drinking the pre-departure "wine", the group embarked on the journey.
On the characteristic route of the Gobi trekking, they stood on the top of the sand peak, and as far as the eye could see, the quicksand traces were rippling, "making people always have the urge to print a mold on it or slide quickly from the sand peak!" However, this beautiful sand peak is a "gentle trap", stepping on it, the sand layer is soft, making people "unable to extricate themselves"!
In the vast Gobi Desert, there is a shallow flowing stream, originating from the top of the snow-capped mountains of the Qilian Mountains. Where there is water, there are naturally traces of life. A pair of feet shuttled through this reed, and found the hope and strength of life from the endless sea of sand.
Walking through the desert Gobi, all the way through quicksand, swamps, and saline-alkali land, the red flag reminding the target of the distance is constantly thrown behind. Zhang Qikai said that it is a very cool experience to be able to participate in the whole event, which is not only a span in his life, but also a challenge, experience and growth for himself.
"I am particularly proud that in the last 1.5 kilometers of this journey, my partners and I trotted all the way, hand in hand, to cross the finish line with the sound of drums," said He Lou, just like he told the children, seizing every opportunity to challenge, courage, perseverance, and resilience can activate the potential of the heart, and can also exceed the limits of the body. Walking in the Gobi, a long journey, every step is the strength to move forward, and every step is to accumulate strength for our lives.
▲ He Lou, Zhang Qikai and his party crossed the finish line
Crossing the canyon, crossing the desert, wading across the river, strolling in the Gobi, this way, in the vast land, deeply feel the insignificance of people, but every step forward is firm and fearless, and perceive the heroism of people, can gallop the desert.
Commenting on the outdoor experience, the principals said:
This time, the principals covered 22 kilometers, a third of the distance covered by the official event. On July 18, 2024, the 4th "Future Leaders" Global Youth Gobi Trekking Challenge will sound the clarion call for assembly in Aksai, Dunhuang, China. This is a 6 days, 5 nights, 68 kilometers Gobi trekking + Gobi Forum + Gobi Music Festival as one of the comprehensive events.
The event comprehensively promotes the development of outdoor quality education, "barbarizing its physique, civilizing its spirit, persevering its will, expanding its horizons, developing its abilities, and enriching its friendship", leading children into nature, achieving tenacity to fight against heaven and earth, achieving spiritual growth and transformation, feeling the power of sharing faith with the team, gaining the ability to become a "future leader", and becoming a pioneer of social progress.
"Since ancient times, heroes have come out of youth, and those who dare to break through are future leaders"
We look forward to your challenge!