Before coming to Dali, it was nothing more than looking at the ancient city, climbing the Cang Mountain cableway, and taking a boat tour of Erhai. Now there are newer ways to play, such as sailing on Erhai! Sailing will become a new playground for Dali tourism.
Zhai Mo comes to Dali to promote sailing
The Feihu (Flying Tiger) ship, captained by the chairman of the Erhai International Eco-city
On July 15th, Zhai Mo, China's first person to complete a solo circumnavigation in a sailboat without any power, gave a trial run on a sailboat on Erhai Lake, attracting enthusiastic media attention. Zhai Mo's visit to Dali was at the invitation of Dali Erhai Jisha Tourism Real Estate Co., Ltd. for an inspection tour to discuss the creation of an Erhai Sailing Club.
On January 6th, 2007, Zhai Mo set sail from Rizhao, Shandong Province, in his "Rizhao" powered sailboat, embarking alone across the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean, passing through over 40 countries and regions across Asia, Africa, South America, North America, and Oceania. After 900 days and nights, he sailed 35,000 nautical miles across the vast sea and returned to Rizhao, Shandong, completing his astonishing circumnavigation journey that astonished the world. He broke the world record for unpowered sailboat navigation and became the first Chinese person to complete a global circumnavigation in an unpowered sailboat. He is known as the "Chinese Robinson Crusoe" and was named one of the most touching figures in China by CCTV in 2009. Before the age of 30, Zhai Mo knew nothing about sailing; he was a relatively well-known painter in the cultural circle, quietly painting his ideals in a small studio in Songzhuang, Beijing. In 2000, during a painting exhibition in New Zealand, he accidentally discovered an unpowered sailboat. For Zhai Mo, who loved foreign cultures, being able to drive such a ship around the world became a dream. Zhai Mo eagerly asked various experts in foreign sailing circles questions but received only disdainful looks. Zhai Mo sold his cherished works and bought a second-hand sailboat from a friend to begin training. Through arduous sea training, Zhai Mo gradually mastered long-distance navigation skills and successfully completed a plan to sail around China’s territorial waters. During the five years of preparing for his global circumnavigation, he never forgot the skeptical expressions of foreign sailors, and the belief in circumnavigating the world became increasingly firm in Zhai Mo's heart. This finally led to the 2007 global circumnavigation journey. Zhai Mo used his actions to prove the courage, passion, faith, and wisdom of the descendants of Yan and Huang facing the ocean for a thousand years.
This was Zhai Mo's first time visiting Dali, and he had another understanding of Erhai. He said, if on the tranquil Erhai Lake, there were thousands of sails dotted around. From a painter's perspective, the masts standing tall along the surrounding coast would be a very beautiful scene. Zhai Mo said in a media exclusive interview: "I have been to many places, like the Cape of Good Hope, the Caribbean Sea, Hawaii, these famous places related to sailing. Dali has such good water areas, and the wind is particularly suitable, making it ideal for Olympic-class sailing navigation. An international sailing competition could be established here. The international competitions we currently participate in are all founded by Westerners. I hope that in the near future, I can participate in an international sailing competition founded by the people of Dali on Erhai Lake. Dali is perfect for my leisure when I am 80 years old, driving a sailboat and cruising freely on Erhai."
As a remote inland town, the public in Dali is not familiar with sailing. Zhai Mo suggested that Dali could start with sailing sports and then build a base. Erhai already possesses favorable natural conditions, and it should integrate global resources, collaborate with influential inland countries like Switzerland and Austria, and initiate international sailing events. The Dali Prefecture is also actively planning non-polluting water entertainment projects involving kiteboarding, sailing, and kayaking that involve public participation, turning the static Erhai into a dynamic Erhai, becoming a new highlight of Dali tourism. Dali Erhai Jisha Tourism Real Estate Co., Ltd. plans to collaborate with Zhai Mo to establish a sailing club, which could potentially become the first water sports club on Erhai Lake.
(Qin Menglin)