Gansu to hold Gobi cross-country race in honor of legendary monk Xuanzang

Qu Xiangdong, the founder of the Gobi challenge reviews the past Gobi challenges at the press conference on April 17. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 11th "Xuanzang's Road" Commercial College Gobi Challenge will kick off at Guazhou county in Gansu province on May 22, according to a press conference held in Beijing on April 17.

Nearly 1,800 contestants from 51 domestic and overseas commercial colleges will attend the cross-country race.

Xuanzang was a Chinese Buddhist monk, a scholar and traveler during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). He is most famous for his sixteen-year journey to India to study Buddhism. Xuanzang overcame various difficulties during his journey, including a narrow escape in the Gobi Desert in Guzhou county.

The "Xuanzang's Road" Commercial College Gobi Challenge is a 112 kilometer-long hiking race held across the Gobi. Its participants are mainly from commercial colleges. The event first took place in 2006 aiming to emulate Xuanzang’s journey by revisiting the road Xuanzang walked.