An extraordinary journey spanning a full 10 years, he measured every inch of the magnificent mountains and rivers of 80000 miles across China with his feet as a ruler. From snowy mountains to vast deserts, from dense forests to deep canyons, his footprints have covered 34 provincial-level administrative regions in China, visited the homes of 56 ethnic groups, passed through more than 1600 counties and towns, and wrote a vivid geographical poem.

During this long journey, he experienced hardships and challenges that ordinary people cannot imagine. His shoes changed one pair after another, totaling 52 pairs, and he also lost 19 toenails due to the long journey. Faced with the harsh tests of nature, he encountered more than 40 chases from wild beasts, as well as extreme weather conditions such as avalanches, sandstorms, mudslides, and tornadoes, each time as if he was narrowly escaping death.

In the primitive forest of Luoxiao Mountain, he used firecrackers as weapons to battle giant pythons with intelligence; On a cold night in Ali's no man's land, he stood alone against the wolf pack, guarding the flame of life with wisdom and courage; In the desperate situation of the Qaidam Basin, he even drank his own urine and blood with astonishing perseverance to survive.

In addition to the challenges posed by nature, he also encountered threats from society. 19 robbery incidents caused him to lose multiple cameras, but also taught him how to protect himself in adversity. On October 9, 2008, he finally completed the feat of hiking in China, with a total distance of an astonishing 81000 kilometers. Not only did he break the world record, but he also became the person who walked the farthest in the world. However, his footsteps did not stop because of this. Subsequently, he challenged the Lop Nur, known as the "Sea of Death," and created a new miracle there - becoming the first and only explorer to trek through the Lop Nur.

He is known as the "contemporary Xu Xiake of China" and the hero and role model in the hearts of countless people - Lei Diansheng. In 2009, Lei Diansheng returned with a decade of wind, frost, and glory, opening a new chapter in his life with a fresh attitude.

During these 10 years of walking, Lei Diansheng not only measured the earth with his footsteps, but also felt the world with his soul. He took over 40000 high-definition photos and recorded countless precious moments; He wrote 42 written records and left behind rich travel notes; He also carried back precious materials such as fossils and mineral samples weighing 2 tons, providing valuable first-hand information for ecological and historical research.

Lei Diansheng self funded the establishment of the "Lei Diansheng Ten Year Hiking Personal Exhibition Hall". This exhibition hall is not only a witness to his personal journey, but also a collection and inheritance of valuable materials such as folk customs, ecology, and history. The museum displays tens of thousands of high-definition photos he took during his hiking, each frame recording the magnificence and diversity of China's land; And the various samples and materials he carefully collected all tell those little-known stories and legends.

Afterwards, Lei Diansheng embarked on a journey of thousands of speeches. He uses his own personal experience to convey the indomitable and courageous spirit to every soul that yearns for dreams. In his narration, people not only heard a story about courage and perseverance, but also felt a deep reverence and love for life, nature, and culture.

As a special guest of the Boao Forum for Asia on "Human and Nature", Lei Diansheng has stood on the international stage, showcasing the style and responsibility of a Chinese explorer to the world. He used his life journey to interpret what the true Chinese spirit is - a spirit of fearlessness, courage to explore, and courage to take responsibility, a spirit of relentless pursuit of beautiful things, and a profound understanding of the value of life.

In fact, life is also a long hiking trip, and every day needs to be walked step by step. In the face of setbacks, Lei Diansheng condensed his difficult and frustrating stories into two books, "Ten Years of Hiking in China, Belief" and "Every Step of Life Counts", like a beacon, illuminating the path forward for countless people. He proved with his actions that as long as there is a dream in his heart, there is a path under his feet; As long as one is brave enough to explore, life can shine with the brightest light.

In this episode of 'Ning Dian Interview', we have invited Lei Diansheng to share his life journey.

After ten years of dormancy, embarking on a journey through the Lop Nur can be said to have been prepared for twenty years. The world has seen the hardships of your journey, so I would like to hear from you about what preparations you have made in terms of physical, mental, and other aspects during these ten years. Have you ever hesitated or even considered giving up? What changes have you experienced in your understanding of hiking, especially?

Lei Diansheng: I did face some temptations and hesitations, for example, the first thing was that when I was in Beijing and preparing for my fifth year, I also thought about whether I had chosen a path of uncertain life and death, so I wanted to put down my hiking plan and do something else. Because I still enjoy martial arts, I thought of spreading Chinese kung fu to foreign countries.

The second thing is that I was around 30 years old when I met love and had plans to start a family in Beijing, but I hesitated for a while. In the end, I gave up on both of these things and decided to do what I wanted to do. Even if my life ended on the road, I had no regrets.

I have been preparing for 10 years, including material preparation, mental preparation, physical preparation, as well as route planning. I also supplemented my knowledge of history, ethnic customs, and ecological environment protection. At that time, there were no electronic products available, and I could only rely on books such as "Xu Xiake's Travels" and Stein's "Archaeological Records of the Western Regions". However, reading and experiencing are still two different things.

Most importantly, I started asking myself what I was planning to do? I needed a "theme" for my walking, and in the end, I decided that the theme would be "environmental protection, folk customs, and exploration". Therefore, I began to set a route, and over 95% of the routes I took were in line with my original plan.

Then, you went through another 10 years and set foot on the Lop Nur again. I have read a report that from the Tang Dynasty to the present, except for Xuanzang who passed by nearby, you are the only one who has walked out of Lop Nur alone. You even drank your own blood on the way, what kind of belief supported you when your life was hanging by a thread?

Lei Diansheng: When Xuanzang crossed the Lop Nur in the Tang Dynasty, his route was different from mine, and his route had water sources back then. When I was hiking, I carried a blade in my emergency kit for simple wound treatment.

I have used this blade multiple times. For example, someone once intentionally let a dog out to bite me. After being bitten by a dog, I was afraid of infection, so I used a small knife to cut open the wound, poured wine on it, and then used a cotton ball to wipe and puncture it.

My legs and body have also been bitten by venomous snakes multiple times. I will tie my legs with straps, then dig out the flesh of the wound, squeeze out the venom, clean the blood, and then bandage the wound. Although these treatments are simple and crude, there is no other better way in that environment. When there is a lack of water in the desert and uninhabited areas, I do make small incisions with a blade and moisten my lips with blood.

Of course, my small emergency kit also contains some medicines, such as gastrointestinal medicine, cold medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, and so on. Because during these 10 years of hiking, besides getting sick, I had no choice but to eat unhygienic and expired food. I knew eating these foods would make me sick, but if I didn't eat them, I might die. Looking back on these experiences now, in fact, every moment when my life hung in the balance was a test of my body's will. I just had a simple and honest survival belief - I want to live.

Returning to urban life, what kind of power do you think these experiences will give you and what kind of changes will they bring to your life? What are you focusing on now that you are no longer hiking?

Lei Diansheng: I have been preparing for 10 years of walking, and for 16 years, I have been committed to spreading China's culture of "environmental protection, folk customs, and exploration". I have truly experienced 981 difficulties, encountered countless wild animal attacks, dozens of mudslides, sandstorms, avalanches, and 19 robberies, each of which was life-threatening. Although I finally achieved my dream, I also realized that life is tenacious but also fragile.

After experiencing all of this, I feel that there is nothing more important than life when it comes to family, work, career, and so on. From the beginning to the end, I spent 10 years and 20 days taking photos and writing a million word diary. I collected clothing from various ethnic groups in China, geological samples from different regions, animal bone fossils, and even some ancient relics and books. In 2009, I opened the "Lei Diansheng Ten Year Hiking Personal Exhibition Hall" in Beijing to showcase these works. In 2010, this exhibition hall was approved by the Beijing Municipal Party Committee as a patriotic education base.

On July 13, 2001, Beijing successfully bid for the 29th Summer Olympic Games. I made a flag overnight, printed it with the national flag, Olympic rings, Olympic emblem, and also stamped it with 2008 postmarks from various post offices I have visited. This is the "treasure" of my exhibition hall.

Another 'treasure' is the national flag that I have been hiking for 10 years and have been carrying with me. After visiting China completely, I sought out sculpture masters for two to three years. Finally, I invited Mr. Zeng Chenggang, the head and professor of the Sculpture Department at the Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University, vice chairman of the China Artists Association, committee member of the National Academy of Painting, vice president of the Sculpture Academy, and researcher. It took me four and a half years to complete two sets of sculptures for 56 ethnic groups.

One of them, I donated to the People's Government of Yuli County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, and now it is displayed here in the village of Luobu. For more than a decade, my energy has been focused on the exhibition hall, subsidizing all of my past income.

As you said, you have invested all your money and energy into the exhibition hall. What kind of emotions or viewpoints do you want to express through this exhibition hall, and what kind of insights will visitors have?

Lei Diansheng: There are several reasons why I work as an exhibition hall. Firstly, I cannot let my collection sleep in the warehouse, especially since I have a lot of books that record some folk legends and stories that cannot be found online. I want to use the exhibition hall as a window to let more people, whether they are teenagers, students, entrepreneurs, or various groups, understand our 9.6 million square kilometers of land, its culture, nature, customs, ecology, and other history.

Therefore, my exhibition hall is themed around environmental protection, ethnicity, and personal exploration. The places I have visited are places that no means of transportation can reach. Over the past 10 years, I have walked step by step. I deeply love the 9.6 million square kilometers of land in my motherland, which carries a rich cultural history of five thousand years. Every scenery is a story, and every piece of land hides the past. I am willing to share this simple yet profound emotion with everyone, and feel the charm and warmth of this land together.