Liu Yongzhong (R) displays the 2011 Shenzhen Universiade flag at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Courtesy of the Shenzhen Longgang Mountaineering & Outside Sport Association
A member of the mountaineering team from Longgang District reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, waving the 2011 Universiade flag on the top of Africa.
Liu Yongzhong, vice chairman of the Shenzhen Longgang Mountaineering & Outside Sport Association, reached the peak of the highest mountain in Africa after four days climbing with foreign team members, yesterday's Daily Sunshine reported.
The flag was given to Liu by the organizing committee of the Summer Universiade before he left Shenzhen.
It was the second climb after Liu reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma in 2009. He left China on Jan 11 and arrived at the mountain foot Jan 13. He started climbing from 1,800 meters above sea level and reached the peak, about 5,896 meters above sea level, at about 6 a.m. Jan 17, according to the Daily report.
Mount Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira, is an inactive volcano in northeastern Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa. It is also the highest freestanding mountain as well as the 4th most prominent in the world. Shenzhen climbers, including Wang Shi, chairman of Vanke Group, Liang Qun and Li Weiwen, a couple from Shenzhen University, and Dr. Chen Fang from the Beijing Genomics Institute (Shenzhen), have all reached the summit.
Liu plans to climb Mount McKinley in the United States, 6,195 meters above sea level, the highest mountain in North America, in June, Mount Xixiabangma in China, 8,014 meters above sea level, in August and Mount Aconcagua in Argentina at 6,959 meters above sea level, the highest mountain in South America, in December.
"I plan to climb 14 mountains more than 8,000 meters above sea level," he said.
(By Wang Yuanyuan)
