Latest news with #Qilian
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Chinese paraglider survives accidental 8,000-metre-high flight above the clouds
A Chinese paraglider who was accidentally propelled more than 8,000 metres high by an updraft has been banned from the activity for six months after a video of his ordeal went viral. Peng Yujiang began from an elevation of about 3,000m in the Qilian mountain range in northern China, where he intended to test a new second-hand equipment purchase without making a proper flight, according to an investigative report by the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports Association. However about 20 minutes into his practice he was caught in a strong updraft, which sent him soaring more than 5,000m high, in line with flight paths and nearly the height of Mount Everest. Video from Peng's mounted camera showed him above the clouds and covered in icicles as the temperature dropped to a reported -35C, as he tried to control his equipment. In a video filmed shortly after landing, Peng recounted the experience. 'My hands were frozen outside. I kept trying to talk on the radio,' he said. Authorities praised Peng's survival, conceding it was an accident. A 'normal person cannot be exposed at 8,000m without oxygen [so] this is not something that can be done voluntarily' said a sports bureau official, according to Sixth Tone. But Peng, who has about five years' experience paragliding, never intended to leave ground level and so had not registered any flight plans, meaning his ordeal was 'not subject to relevant approvals', the report said. In response he was banned from flying for six months. The bureau report, based on an interview with Peng, said he was in the air for more than an hour, and had stayed in radio contact with his friend, Gu Zhimin, who was still on the ground. The report said he had attempted to descend but his efforts were 'ineffective', and as he flew higher he became confused and briefly lost consciousness. Peng was eventually able to land about 30km from the launch site, where he was met by Gu and another friend. Gu later posted a video of Peng's flight and comments on the ground to Douyin, China's domestic version of TikTok, where it soon went viral. The video sparked shock and admiration from viewers, some suggesting he had broken records, but it also drew the ire of authorities. 'Gu Zhimin posted a flight video without permission, which had a bad impact,' the report said. 'He was grounded for six months and asked to write a report to deeply reflect on the negative impact of his behaviour.' The bureau said any record broken by Peng's flight would not be officially counted because his flight was not registered. His flight nears the world record of 9,946m set by German paraglider Ewa Wiśnierska in 2007, when she was caught in a similar updraft while paragliding in Australia. Wiśnierska was unconscious for about 40 minutes, only learning how high she had flown after safely landing and checking her flight data. Additional research by Lillian Yang
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Paraglider survives accidental 8,000-metre-high flight in China
A Chinese paraglider who was accidentally carried more than 8,000 metres into the air by an updraft has been banned from flying for six months after footage of his ordeal went viral. Peng Yujiang started his reported practice flight from an elevation of about 3,000m in the Qilian mountain range in northern China but was caught in a strong updraft, soaring more than 5,000m higher
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Chinese paraglider survives accidentally flying near height of Mount Everest
A 55-year-old paraglider in northern China's Qilian mountains survived against the odds after being caught in clouds and accidentally sent flying to an altitude of 8,598 metres (28,208 ft) above sea level.
South China Morning Post
11-02-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Tibetan tree rings link climate change and fall of major Chinese dynasties
Published: 9:00am, 11 Feb 2025 Researchers have used tree rings to track rainfall patterns on the Tibetan Plateau over the course of almost 3,500 years and found a link between major changes and the downfall of some of the most powerful Chinese imperial dynasties. A study found that long-term falls in precipitation following an extended humid period coincided with some of China's most dramatic political upheavals. The researchers from the Institute of Earth Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences also found that the past 100 years had been among the driest. The Qilian juniper has a lifespan of up to 2,500 years and can remain preserved in the mountainous region long after its death. This lifespan and its sensitivity to moisture make it ideal for reconstructing the climatic conditions on the plateau over a long period.
