Zhao constructs mountain trails. Photo: Screenshot from media reports

An 81-year-old retiree from Fuping county in North China's Hebei Province has footed the bill out of his own pocket to build nearly 10,000 stone steps on the local Shenxian Mountain over the past 11 years, earning him the nickname of a modern-day "foolish old man" who moved mountains in an ancient Chinese myth, local Hebei Daily reported.

Zhao Jichen developed a deep interest in Shenxian Mountain and its associated Beiyue kingdom culture after retiring in 2014, when he learned about the mountain's historical and cultural connections through reading.

Subsequently, Zhao made numerous trips to explore the Mountain and collected historical materials. He discovered that the Mountain is not only visually striking but also culturally rich, bearing a thousand-year legacy of Beiyue kingdom culture, imperial sacrificial traditions, and the history of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the report said.

However, due to its rugged and inaccessible paths, both cultural heritage and public appreciation of the Mountain remained limited. "This mountain is a 'gold mine'—it's the backbone of Hebei's history and culture. It shouldn't be left forgotten," Zhao said. 

Starting in 2015, he embarked on a long journey to restore the Mountain's trail. Without project funding, he dipped into his pension and even borrowed money from relatives and friends. Without a construction team, he hired local villagers, paying them daily wages to carry stones and materials on their backs, Hebei Daily reported.

The steep mountain paths and scenic spots hidden along cliffs posed significant challenges. Traveling from the county seat to the foot of the mountain, Zhao trekked dozens of kilometers daily, sometimes suffering exhaustion to the point of nosebleeds. 

However, he persisted, saying, "The process is certainly tough, but I just want to do something meaningful in my lifetime."

Over 11 years, he led villagers to forge ahead and lay nearly 10,000 stone steps by stacking stone blocks in the remote mountain valleys, linking more than 30 scattered natural scenic spots into a coherent whole, per the report.

Perched on the sheer cliffs, most of these extraordinary natural sights are unique rock formations with lifelike shapes and profound cultural implications, and Zhao has given each of them a carefully crafted name.

To date, he has invested more than 1 million yuan ($143,950) in the project, the report said. What moves Zhao deeply is that even when he couldn't pay wages immediately, the villagers still willingly came to help build the paths.

Beyond constructing the trails, Zhao also self-funded two cultural exhibition rooms—one in the county seat and one on the mountain—to systematically organize historical materials, the report said. 

Zhao said his greatest wish is to restore the mountain's status. "It possesses tangible cultural heritage and should become a cultural calling card for Hebei," he said.


Global Times