Close touch with nature
By Enid Chen
Photos by Iron Rock

第一次见到来自顽石俱乐部的贝壳,从他黝黑的肤色就知道他是一个户外运动的忠实爱好者.因为喜欢大海,所以取名"贝壳".17岁时,就与朋友骑自行车从厦门到北京,又独自一人继续北上到了哈尔滨.从此,对户外探险运动的热情就"一发不可收拾".背起行囊走进茂密的森林,登上皑皑雪山,攀上悬崖峭壁,驾着帆船行驶在茫茫大海上.如今,他又开始计划与朋友一起驾驶仿宋古帆船环球航行,并且组建一个摄制组,用镜头记录最美的风景.

Are you getting bored of being a sofa spud on weekends and holidays? Why not get out for outdoor explorations like Beike (seashell)? Beike, one of the owners of the Iron Rock Club, is an outdoor enthusiast who has been making numerous adventures up mountains, through forests, down rivers and into the sea.

From a grocer owner to an outdoor enthusiast
Born into a fisher-folk family in Dongshan of South Fujian Province, Beike grew up in this coastal town and developed his affinity with the vast blue sea; this is the reason that he calls himself Beike. As a small boy, he was curious about the mysterious sea and the wild nature and wished he could explore it one day when he grew up. He managed a small grocery shop in his teens, but his childhood dream never ceased as time passed by.

At the age of 17, a long-distance trip on bicycle became a turning point in his life. Along with seven friends, Beike rode his bicycle from Xiamen to Beijing, where his friends stopped while he continued his solo trip to Harbin. The eight-month trip left him with life-long memories, as he encountered hardships and experienced the joy of fulfillment.

"I was faced with many difficulties, such as lack of money and finding places to live. I took part-time jobs along the trip. The bicycle broke down from time to time. Yet, the greatest difficulty was the loneliness I felt, because I had no friends to talk with or to share things I saw and experienced. All my belongings were stolen when in Harbin and I didn't eat anything for three days. A kind-hearted woman helped me through the times of adversity. She offered me food, accommodation and money to buy a train ticket. I was really grateful for that." Beike recalled in a moving account.

Started on his deeply rooted dream rather than on a whim, which was then pursued with passion, this bicycle trip profoundly altered his way of living and his way of thinking.

Exploring nature with courage
After the bicycle trip, he became a tour guide in Beijing but he quit this job nine months later, because he found that it was not what he wanted to do. He stepped into the advertising industry, which in his eyes was full of novelty, creativity and imagination and that is where he stayed for three years.

It was at the time around 1997 that such words as "outdoor exploration, backpacking and extreme sports" began becoming popular with the common people in China. During those years, he traveled around China to explore nature, making adventures as he put his skills against nature's power. He escaped from the jostling crowds of modern cities and explored into the empty wilderness of nature. He walked into the primitive forests, climbed rocks along steep cliffs, drifted down torrential rivers in a raft and sailed in the sea on his sailing ship.

These extreme sports began to form an important part of his life, where death loomed large at times. But these did not pose stumbling blocks before the ongoing pursuit of his dream, which required great courage and bravery.

"At the beginning when I confronted dangers, I would be thrilled by the excitement and I would seek spontaneously for it. However, now I get armed to the teeth and make myself fully prepared for the adventures ahead for the sake of security after escaping death several times. One should minimize potential dangers and cherish his own life."

In these years, Beike has been leading a life in his own way. Together with four other friends, he manages their own ship building company in Jimei and also the Iron Rock Club — a community for outdoor exploration enthusiasts. All the money he makes is spent on traveling. "The possessions I currently have are nothing but countless photos I have taken, a set of equipment for outdoor adventures and of course, accumulating experiences. Rather than pursuing materials, I value more spiritual satisfaction."

Planning round-the-world sailing
Fascinated by nature and addicted to adventures, Beike says he cannot stop his feet now. He goes outdoors almost every weekend. Now a plan for an around-the-world sailing trip is underway. "We are going to follow our ancestor — Zheng He's itinerary to sail around the world. We have built a replica sailing ship from the Song Dynasty, which combines the best design of that time and modern engines. Hopefully we will start in October next year. The biggest problem we are faced with is the shortage of funds, with an estimated investment of RMB six to eight million." This planned sailing trip will last about three years, as they are going to conduct historical research with a team of professional researchers on board.

"My second dream is to organize a documentary filming crew so that we can record lyrical tales and the most beautiful scenes of personal discovery while we are exploring nature, because I'm so thankful for nature, who embraces me so that I can have a close touch and communication with it."

His dream never ends, as he said he gained the inspiration from the water. "Whatever it is, either a small stream or the great sea, the water keeps pushing forward. It requires full devotion and passion. The water is a metaphor for my life."

My Xiamen
我的厦门


June, who grew up in Xiamen, is currently studying at a university in Boston, USA.

1. How long have you been in Xiamen?
I've been living here since I was born, except for recent years during which I have been studying overseas.

2. What do you like most about life here?
Neither too busy nor too quiet; moderately laid-back.

3. What's your job here? How do you like your job?
I'm a university student. But it's cool to concentrate on studies and have fun without bothering myself with tricky stuff such as social networking and financial planning.

4. How do you spend your spare time in Xiamen?
I like going to Karaoke and pigging out with pals. Being on my own is another super enjoyment: reading, listening to music, and even doing nothing.

5. If there was one thing that you could change about Xiamen, what would that be?
I would get every single street cleaned all at once permanently so that Xiamen could enjoy its label as "China's cleanest and tidiest city" for good.

6. What's your favorite restaurant?
No easy way to decide because there are so many good restaurants on this small island! And don't forget exotic cuisines such as Thai food and Vietnamese food that are being introduced and accepted at an incredible speed! I can't reach a conclusion until I try them all!

7. What do you like best about Xiamen?
The best thing about Xiamen is it's my hometown! I have 10,000 reasons to love it!

8. Compared with other big cities in China, what do you think are the differences between Xiamen and them?
Xiamen's got its own free and poetic spirit which those big cities don't possess.

9. What's the last great book you read?
"I Don't Know How She Does It" by Allison Pearson. It's a fiction story about a professional working mum's chaotic life juggling responsibilities of marriage, work and motherhood.

10. What's your favorite quotation or piece of advice?
Life short, play more.