Mount Qomolangma climbers share reflections on life

On Nov. 2, hundreds of mountaineering enthusiasts from across the country gathered at Biosphere 3 in Yantian District for Beyond the Summit 2025 to celebrate their passion for climbing and connect with fellow climbers.

Nine speakers who have summited Mount Qomolangma were invited to reflect on life after the achievement.

Yan Huiqian, a beta-thalassemia patient, reached the summit early this year without suffering any physical injury or muscle loss. She accomplished the feat after just two years of systematic training and was named cultural tourism ambassador of her hometown, Lishui in Zhejiang Province, becoming the first woman from the city to reach the summit.

Yan Huiqian shares her reflections with the audience. Courtesy of the Shenzhen Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports Association.

“Every mountain can be broken down into a series of small paths; every difficulty can be reduced to manageable steps. The cages that confine us were never really locked — all we have to do is push the door open, step outside, and meet a renewed self,” she said.

Fan Qian, who summited Mount Qomolangma in 2023, said that after reaching the peak he became a team leader and has since accompanied many climbers to the summits of their first snow mountains. “I’ve come to realize that climbing is not just about how high I can go, but about helping others reach the peak so they can see new views and experience a different kind of life,” he said.

Fan Qian shares with the audience.

At the event, Wang Shi, founder of China Vanke and DeepRock Group, together with attending entrepreneurs and Mount Qomolangma summiteers, launched the “Mountain-Sea Symbiosis” initiative, proposing an ecosystem built on three pillars: humanities and arts, healthy living, and sustainable communities.

Over the next 180 days, nearly 20 low-carbon competitions and green activities spanning sea, land and air will be launched, starting in Dameisha. The initiative uses art to raise ecological awareness, sports to energize green ecosystems, and commerce to foster a symbiotic economy. Its goal is to create a sustainable lifestyle that flows through three seasons and blends into nature — moving sustainability from advocacy to action and extending responsibility from businesses to public participation.

Guests jointly launch the “Mountain-Sea Symbiosis” initiative at the event.

The event was jointly hosted by the Shenzhen Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports Association and DeepRock Group, with Chinese nutritional candy brand Biobor as the exclusive title sponsor.