Guo displays his prize after the competition. Photo: Screenshot from media reports

Guangdong's first "slipper king" competition, initiated by a blogger, was held in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province. Contestants were required to present their slippers and share the stories behind them, Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

Held on March 1, the event sparked heated discussion on social media platforms, with some netizens commenting, "This competition is so Cantonese." The champion was Guo Dingfen, a young man born in the 1990s, whose entry was a pair of slippers that accompanied him on a 28-day, 574-kilometer hiking journey, the report said.

The slippers he used were produced in his hometown, Leizhou, Guangdong Province. Guo said that, to some extent, they serve as a cultural symbol. But nowadays, people rarely wear them anymore. Perhaps many years from now, this symbol will disappear. 

"I felt it was quite a pity, so I chose this subject," he said while recounting the story behind them.

Recounting his experience, Guo said that he walked for 28 days straight in Leizhou slippers, carrying a backpack weighing 19 jin (9.5 kilograms), and following navigation the entire way. 

Guo said that, during the hike, he usually set off at around 8 am and stopped walking at dusk, covering roughly 20 to 25 kilometers each day.

He prepared two pairs before starting, both of which wore out during the trip, so he bought an extra pair.

The slippers he entered in the competition were already quite worn, with the straps detached. Before the event, Guo found a repair shop and stitched them back together with needle and thread.

"Everyone got quite excited when I was sharing my story, and several people even kept cheering 'champion.' I thought I might win an award for traveling such a long distance, but I never expected the slippers would be so well-received and win first place," he said.

Reflecting on the inspiration behind the event, the organizer said that he hoped to celebrate the lives of ordinary people and encourage everyone to embrace the beauty of everyday life, according to the report.


Global Times