We shared chocolates and beef jerky; we scrambled over toasted naan slices and ham sausages. We leaned on each other’s trekking poles, took turns carrying the banner of the Qilin Team, and sang over walkie-talkies. At the moment of parting, a yellow rope representing the desert Gobi bound us together in commemoration. And just like that, this journey came to an end.

The May Day holiday in 2026 was somewhat special for the teachers and students of the Qilin Team from HD Shanghai School. Stepping into the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert, they completed the remarkable feat of a 3-day, 70-kilometer trek in the 4th Xuanzang Road International Youth Gobi Challenge.

Composed of 5 students and 2 leading teachers—Teacher Sissi Liu, Jaden Xiao, Rex Fang, Monddo Jiang, Cici Xiao, Summer Chen, and trekking coach Vincent Lianshan—the team was required to hike 70 kilometers across the Moheyanqi Gobi at an altitude of 1,300 meters. Traversing ancient riverbeds, saline-alkali land, gravel roads, and river valleys over three days and two nights, they went without parents, facing only scorching sun, windblown sand, gritted teeth, and mutual support.

Prior to this expedition, the team had built up their endurance across multiple practice treks:

December 2025: Tanxianling Ancient Trail, Jiaxing (9 km)

January 2026: Guangfu Small Loop, Suzhou (9 km)

March 2026: Xishan & Yuyang Mountain, Suzhou (28 km)

May 2026: Moheyanqi Gobi, Guazhou County, Dunhuang, Jiuquan City (70 km)

Total Journey: Cumulative distance of 116 km

From initially signing up thinking it was a “desert vacation” to weeping in each other’s arms at the finish line, this was not merely a physical expedition, but a soulful dialogue on self-discovery and teamwork.

01 Naivety Before Departure

The assembly of the Qilin Team began in October 2025, with training starting in November. Initially, there were seven members, but five students were ultimately confirmed for the main event: Monddo (Grade 3), Rex (Grade 4), Summer and Jaden (Grade 6), alongside Cici (Grade 8).

Every Thursday, Teacher Sissi would head to the playground to randomly recruit a PE teacher for physical conditioning. Tom, Joshua, Rachel—the teachers turned fitness into play. Instead of declaring “now we will practice running,” they would say, “Come on, let’s play a game.” The games incorporated burst sprinting, seamlessly weaving team-building into physical training.

During debriefs after training, Teacher Sissi asked everyone: “What can you praise yourself for today, and what can you praise others for?” This laid the foundation for mutual encouragement within the team.

During the final indoor training session before departure, mats were laid out in the multi-purpose room. The five children rolled around, looking at Teacher Sissi and Coach Tom with innocent eyes, listening to the teachers describe the upcoming challenge.

“I suddenly felt very moved at that moment. I turned to Tom and said, ‘They have no idea what they’re about to experience,'” Teacher Sissi recalled.

Ritual served as the team’s glue. On the 5-hour flight to Dunhuang, Teacher Sissi collected everyone’s mobile phones and watches, announcing two shared projects: writing a Drifting Diary and taking photos with a disposable “drifting camera.”

With a single disposable camera shared among 6 people, each taking 3 photos per day, a total of 18 photos captured the journey. In the hand-drawn Drifting Diary, everyone recorded daily feelings. On the plane, Teacher Sissi drew a glass of pomegranate juice. Rex immediately added his beef jerky, leading everyone to line up to draw their favorite snacks. This collective drawing became the notebook cover and a cherished memory.

02 Multi-Grade Team Challenge

Leading a team spanning Grade 3 to Grade 8 presented a unique managerial challenge for Teacher Sissi.

As the oldest student, 8th-grader Cici was initially hesitant to express her feelings. While others played cards, she read books; while others chattered, she stayed on her phone. During early debriefs, her responses remained superficial.

During the final team debrief after completing the trek, Cici revealed that she had initially agreed to the trip thinking it was a “desert vacation” offered by her mother in exchange for an iPhone 18. “I completely did not expect everything I would have to go through,” she admitted.

Meanwhile, 3rd-grader Monddo worried about practical details, asking her mother before departure whether Cici had packed all her gear properly—highlighting the dynamic support system across age groups.

When establishing a team slogan, Teacher Sissi encouraged the students to create one themselves rather than relying on AI. They initially chose “Qilin, Qilin, good at everything!” for urban trials, later refining it for the Gobi competition to: “Qilin, Qilin, challenging ourselves, bound by friendship.”

To prepare for moments when team members reached physical limits, Coach Tom helped them establish a shared motivational code word: Ice Cream.

03 “Cheat Codes and Breakdowns”: The Real Gobi Over the Walkie-Talkies

On Day 1 (27 kilometers), the team spread out, creating a 1 to 2 hour gap between the front and rear groups. Summer and Jaden led the pack, Monddo and Teacher Sissi walked in the middle, while Cici and Rex held onto the backpack of Coach Vincent.

Despite being the youngest, Monddo demonstrated high physical endurance. Walking alongside Teacher Sissi, she kept pace and earned a silver medal in the primary school division for the day. When an event photographer asked what kept her going through difficult stretches, she replied: “Ice Cream.”

Conversely, Cici struggled with exhaustion on Day 1 and Day 2, repeatedly expressing a desire to wait for the rescue vehicle at the next CP point. When asked if she was injured, she noted that her spirit was worn out. Encouraged by Teacher Sissi, who used trekking poles to keep her moving, Cici completed the final 15 kilometers.

200 meters before the finish line, Cici put down her trekking poles and sprinted across the line hand-in-hand with Teacher Sissi. Although overwhelmed at first, Cici later asked during the award ceremony if she could volunteer for future events.

4th-grader Rex displayed fluctuating pacing throughout the trek, earning bronze, gold, and silver medals across the 3 days. On the first day, he picked up 5 walkie-talkie antennas along the trail, earning the nickname “Antenna King.” On Day 2, his sudden speed increase led Jaden to joke that he was “using cheat codes.”

6th-grader Jaden acted as the team’s reliable pacer. Walking at the front, he broadcasted trail conditions and pacing updates over the walkie-talkie while waiting at the finish line to greet arriving teammates.

04 The Final Day’s “Team Day”

On Day 3 (20 kilometers), the team designated the shortest leg as their “Team Day,” opting to hike together rather than race individually.

For the first 10 kilometers, all 6 members maintained a close formation within a 100-meter range.

The night before, Summer and Cici had bonded in the medical tent while receiving care for minor strains. On the trail, Summer, Monddo, Rex, and Jaden took turns pacing and encouraging Cici, helping her cover the first half of the day’s distance.

Due to blisters, Teacher Sissi and Coach Vincent adjusted their pace, allowing the lead group to proceed while they completed the remaining 10 kilometers alongside Cici.

05 Summer’s Tears and Smiles

Summer, one of the team’s top runners who secured gold medals on the first two days, finished 3 minutes outside the gold margin on the final day due to the collective pacing strategy.

Overcome with disappointment upon crossing the finish line, she wept in the tent. During the evening debrief, Coach Vincent noted that despite individual medal standings, every student’s reflection focused on friendship, perseverance, and shared experiences rather than awards.

In her final Drifting Diary entry, Summer wrote: “Although I didn’t get three golds, the process was still very happy,” appending a large smiley face to the page.

06 Teacher Sissi: 15 Minutes in the Corner of Camp

After crossing the final finish line, Teacher Sissi stepped to the edge of the campsite to call her family, experiencing a 20-minute release of emotion after managing the team’s safety and motivation throughout the trek.

“Your body experiences a massive physical challenge while taking care of the children, encouraging everyone to surpass their limits while pushing past your own,” she noted. “Reaching the destination fills you with pride for the willpower and resilience demonstrated by everyone.”

07 Echoes of Education

The organizing committee of the 4th Xuanzang Road International Youth Gobi Challenge structured the event to ensure core safety while leaving the physical execution entirely to the participants.

Rather than focusing strictly on competitive rankings, the event emphasized overcoming logistical hurdles, developing resilience, and fostering peer support.

“Educators know that our time with children is about sowing seeds,” Teacher Sissi reflected. “Growth is an ongoing process of discovery. The goal is not merely to reach a specific metric, but to realize that We are always becoming.”

Afterword

Some may ask: What does the Gobi Challenge mean for a group of children? Is it simply about enduring hardship?

The story of HD Shanghai Academy’s Qilin Team may hold the answer.

It brings children face‑to‑face with raw nature. Pushed to the edge of their physical and mental limits, they achieve a personal breakthrough, shifting from “I want to give up” to “Just one more step”.

In the network‑free wilderness, they learn to navigate competition and friendship, individual ambition and collective responsibility, forging deep bonds of comradeship that sustain one another.

A seed of “becoming” is planted within them. They discover they are far stronger than they ever imagined, and this inner confidence will carry them through life’s uncertainties in the years ahead.