(Photo/People's Daily Online)
It's an ordinary Wednesday in Shangrao, Jiangxi province. Pan Wenwen gets up early as usual. She eats her breakfast and then rolls up her sleeves, standing on a small bench to wash her bowl.
This skinny 4-year-old girl looks just like any one of her peers. What makes her unique, however, is the fact that she became an internet darling when she was only a little over a year old. She made a name for herself by hiking with her parents. On social media, Chinese netizens hailed her as "the youngest backpacker in China."
Pan and her family spend six to seven months a year traveling across China. In mid-June, Pan embarked on a new journey with her father, journeying from Chengdu, Sichuan province to Lhasa, Tibet within two months. They traveled a total distance of 2,167 kilometers, eating wild vegetables and sleeping in tents along the way. They persisted even when, in late July, frequent and heavy rains pounded Sichuan.
"We encountered storms, hail, mudslides and landslides," said Pan's father in an interview with West China City Daily. But Pan's reaction surprised him.
"She did not even cry, or cause any trouble along the way. She was much braver than before, probably due to our previous experience in Yunnan province."
The Chengdu-Tibet hiking trip was barely a challenge for the young, experienced backpacker. Just after arriving in Tibet, Pan's family set a new goal: to trek through Nepal and cross the Himalayas. Now that has been crossed off Pan's list as well.
The family is currently back in Shangrao, their home city. While other 4-year-olds are crying about going to kindergarten, Pan's parents are planning a new challenge for her -- trekking across Southeast Asia and completing a trip around the world, all before she starts primary school.
"After entering kindergarten, it's almost like children are shut away in cages. Going to school, graduating and finding a job will take all her free time away. I want Wenwen to experience the world as much as possible while she can," said Pan's father.
