Paragliding forms a trend in central Yunnan
Editor's note: A group of gliders in Yunnan are enjoying the itch of their feet leaving the ground. To them, it is a fantastic experience to sour into the sky and overlook a bus, which seems as tiny as a finger nail. One of the birdmen even turned his wedding into a gliding race.
Paragliding in Yunnan (WeChat photo subject to deletion)
Birdmen in Yunnan
At dawn, Kunming native Shi Feng and his gliding mates would look up into the sky to see if it’s a fine day. “Seeing good weather, we’ll consider going paragliding. Real gliders are wont to watch the sky in the morning,” said Shi.
Paragliding is for free fliers, and the gliders in Yunnan call themselves birdmen. On the basis of different ideas, paragliding falls into three categories: the relaxing, the competitive and the skillful. And age of the participants varies from eight or nine years to 70. “Paragliding is an easiest way to escape from the earth, and I enjoyed much freedom during the flight,” said Doufengke, a paragliding lover.
Paragliding in Yunnan (WeChat photo subject to deletion)
Yunnan perfect for paragliding
A 10-meter-high mound lies in an open area in central Yunnan’s Chenggong district, and it is where the Kunming birdmen gather. The mound is said to be the birdmen’s training base, which was piled up by excavators and bulldozers. They have spent over 20,000 yuan renting the machines.
“In China, paragliding remains a lesser sport event. Across Yunnan province, there are around 200 birdmen, 50 of whom are capable of independent flights,” said Fengniao, a Yunnan native who has experienced paragliding for over a decade. “Paragliding in Yunnan began as early as in mid-1990s, but it made slow progress,” said the gliding lover.
“Yunnan is perfect for paragliding.” Fengniao, or wind bird, said the venue fit for gliding can be found in the province every day, and the site should be open, hilly and mild in weather. “Planes take off or land against the wind, and so do paragliders.” Across Yunnan, over 10 paragliding sites are now available in the localities of Shiping, Yuanjiang, Yuxi, Gejiu, Gasa, Qujing and Jinggu.
Paragliding in Yunnan (WeChat photo subject to deletion)
Wedding turned into gliding race
Gliding enthusiasts agree that they feel the best when their feet are off the ground. "When you fly to 3,500 meters high and look down, a bus will be the size of 5 centimeters." As he spoke, Fengniao gesticulated with his index finger and thumb. "If you fly in Kunming on a fine day, you’ll see the horizon at the height of over 500 meters." A birdman needs to know well meteorology, aerodynamics, geography and others, and he must be good at self-control. "Safety is the first priority. No safety, no next time. This is the theory for gliders," said Shi.
Shifeng is the record holder of the 36-kilometer free cross-country flying race for Yunnan gliders. To put it simply, cross-country flight is to fly straight forward from a take-off point, "Wherever you stop, the mileage is recorded". "From a scientific view, an alternate field should be preset for landing in the design of flight route. However, factors like weather in the flight will affect the landing. Good performance in a cross-country gliding event is not a matter of courage and ability, but a full and scientific plan. "
Glider Shi even turned his wedding a gliding race. At the wedding, Shi and his wife glided in the sky. The bride was in a wedding dress, and the pair had rosy smiles in the paraglider. Shi will get excited when it comes to his wedding. Shi is the first one to glide at wedding in Yunnan and he’s still the only one so far. "I think it’s meaningful to get married in such fun, and the wedding will be on my mind for good,” said Shi.
Reporting by Li Xilin; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue