Chinese resident conquers mountains with his hands

Sun Guo Shan, 38, conquers China’s famous mountains using his hands.

A man in China is conquering local mountains using his hands.

Sun Guo Shan, 38, has become a local social media star by climbing China’s most famous mountains using his hands. His unusual project, which began in May 2023, only gained public attention in late 2024 when a video of him climbing Mount Wudang went viral.

Sun, who previously worked in the education system, decided to dedicate himself to this unusual challenge after realizing the importance of staying healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. He wants to not only promote a healthy lifestyle, but also honor the beauty of his country’s mountain landscapes.

His goal is to conquer China’s 50 most popular mountains by the spring of 2025. Sun has now climbed 34 peaks, including one of the most difficult, Mount Tianmen in Hunan Province. In December 2024, he spent five hours climbing the 999 steps of the mountain in a handstand.

“It was the most difficult mountain, I fell almost a hundred times,” Shan admitted.