Beijing Fenghuangling / Wuhan · RunCN #19

RunCN #19 | Beijing Fenghuangling night run and a graduation album

A graduation album two years late, keeping my parents, Wuhan University, East Lake, commencement, and that Wuhan season in one place.

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OPENING NOTE

This English edition keeps the race story up front and lets the travel notes breathe around it. It is written for American friends: conversational, direct, and naturally about running marathons.

RunCN #19 | Beijing Fenghuangling night run and a graduation album cover

Run50 English cover · RUNCN @Arsenan

RunCN Map - Beijing · Dark @Arsenan

RunCN Map - Beijing · Light @Arsenan

FIELD NOTE 01

Preface

It’s graduation season again, and everyone is posting graduation photos. Looking back, it’s been almost two years since graduation.

A lot seems to have happened in 2019, and I have always regretted not completing the timeline. When I have some free time these days, I quickly post the photos on Twitter. I need to leave some memories for myself and my parents so that I can come back and take a look when I have nothing to do.

Wuhan, Hubei story photo 1
2019 Wuhan University Graduation Ceremony by Arsenan

FIELD NOTE 02

My parents came to Wuhan to see me graduate

On June 19, 2019, my parents and I took flights one after another and arrived at Wuhan Tianhe Airport. Because I went to Xinjiang for a self-driving trip with my friends, it turned out that my parents picked me up.

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Wuda Archway by Arsenan
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Wuhan University East Lake Lingbo Gate Plank Road by Arsenan
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Wuhan University East Lake Lingbo Gate Plank Road by passerby

After settling in, I took my parents to Wuhan University to see the archway, to the East Lake to see the stones and water, and in the evening I went to the greenway to ride a bike to see the city gate towers.

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Cycling in East Lake by Arsenan
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Cycling on East Lake (Cucheng) by Arsenan

The next day, it rained heavily in Wuhan, and the graduation ceremony even became a hot topic.

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2019 Wuhan University Graduation Ceremony by Arsenan
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2019 Wuhan University Graduation Ceremony by Tuotuo

The little red flag, the white raincoat, and the scent of green grass filling the rain in Wuhan in June are still fresh in my memory.

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2019 Wuhan University Graduation Ceremony by Tuotuo
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I was lucky enough to take a photo with the earrings of Academician Zhang Lina by Tuotuo

Teacher Zhang is a famous chemist in my country and the first female academician in the history of Wuhan University. She has won the highest international award in the field of renewable resources. However, one year later, she passed away in Wuhan at 20:00 on October 17, 2020. She was 80 years old. Although I was shocked, I also deeply missed the passing of the master.

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Taking a photo with my parents at the graduation ceremony of Wuhan University by a passing classmate

In the next few days, I took my parents on an in-depth tour of Wuhan and Wuhan University, and the arrangements were always clear.

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Yellow Crane Tower by Arsenan
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Yellow Crane Tower by Arsenan
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Xinhai Revolution Memorial Hall by Arsenan
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Wuda Wanlin Art Museum by Arsenan
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Wuda Yingding by Arsenan
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Wuda Yingding by Arsenan
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Wuhan University Administration Building by Arsenan
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Wuhan University Administration Building by Arsenan
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Wuda’s former residence of Zhou Enlai by Arsenan
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Renovated two electric cars by Arsenan
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Cycling on Luojia Mountain by Arsenan

FIELD NOTE 03

Taking my parents around Beijing and having a drink with Lao Meng

I was sending my parents back to Northeast China and stopped in Beijing, so I could do some shopping.

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Beijing Railway Station by Arsenan
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Old Beijing Hutongs by Arsenan
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Forbidden City by Arsenan
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Forbidden City by Arsenan
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Watching the flag raising in Tiananmen Square by Arsenan
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Summer Palace by Arsenan
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Summer Palace by Arsenan
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Tianjin Haihe by Arsenan

Finally, I saw my parents off in Tianjin and got on the train back to Harbin, while I went to my good friend Lao Meng’s house to eat, drink and talk about life.

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Lao Meng & Uncle Cong by Arsenan
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Houhai by Arsenan

FIELD NOTE 04

With some private goods, Fenghuangling off-road

In Beijing, I took the time to go to Fenghuangling. Running at Fenghuangling at night was very novel, especially with the big searchlights swaying around, like a big party.

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Phoenix Ridge by Arsenan
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Looking at the Imperial Capital from afar at Fenghuang Ridge by Arsenan
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Fenghuang Ridge Fire Cloud by Arsenan
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Painting by Arsenan
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Painting by Arsenan
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Painting by Arsenan

But because I ran the wrong way, I only ran 10 kilometers before looping back and ending hastily. However, I still asked the organizing committee for a medal.

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Start by Arsenan
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Running into the mountains by Arsenan
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Beijing’s distant view from a special angle by Arsenan
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Running the wrong way after the supply point by Arsenan

Highlights

Here are some fun and funny photos.

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The three giants in the dormitory: Brother Tong, Tuotuo, and me by classmates
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The last night of gangster party in the dormitory: It seems like you can smoke by Yuan
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Teacher Liu Hai by Arsenan
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Silly JJ by Arsenan
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Lab graduation dinner by Arsenan
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The last race by classmates
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Big guys in the Mechanics Building by classmates
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Big guys in the motivation building by classmates

Two years after graduation, I looked back and started recording again. I have become accustomed to low-saturation emotional expressions, and the result is a journal style. But this is not important. What is important is that there is such a recording medium to contain the fragments of these stories, so that they can remain in the memory of the Internet forever.

- The end -

- End -

Words · Arsenan

Photos · Arsenan

Design · Arsenan

RUN50 FINISH LINE

One more mile saved for the story.

RUNCN DISPATCH Beijing Fenghuangling / Wuhan · RunCN #19 WeChat English

This edition keeps the running up front, then lets the city, the food, the weather, and the small human details settle in around it.

Thanks for reading. The Chinese WeChat edition carries the original voice; this English version keeps the same route, just in a language that feels natural to American friends.