Climber conquers the world

Future climbing

Xia was well-known after his success last year. He got many honors including the 2019 Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year award in February.

He was invited to the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival in June and walked the red carpet with actress Zhang Ziyi and Wu Jing, who played the roles of climbers in a film about the Chinese mountaineering team.

He is planning to climb peaks on other continents - Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, in August and Kilimanjaro, the highest in Africa, in October.

Meanwhile, he will set up a fund to help youngsters realize their dreams.

"Without targets, people lose direction," Xia says. "So I will keep climbing and contributing in more ways to society."