Yang Wei (R), 70, and his 64-year-old wife Zheng Hong pose for a photo on their yacht in Nan'ao, Dapeng New Area, on Friday. Shenzhen Economic Daily
A retired Shenzhen couple embarked on a round-the-world voyage today, with their yacht "Danyun" becoming the first yacht to depart from Shenzhen for such a journey.
The husband, Yang Wei, 70, and his wife, Zheng Hong, 64, plan to spend three years visiting 44 coastal cities among Shenzhen's over 90 sister cities.
Their first stop will be Haiphong, a sister city of Shenzhen in Vietnam. The journey will cover a distance of 530 nautical miles and take about six days.
"China has a long history of navigation. Our voyage from Shenzhen is a continuation and promotion of the maritime culture. As Shenzhen citizens, we are able to bring our passion and perseverance into this global voyage, visiting Shenzhen's sister cities and conveying friendship and peace. This is both our honor and responsibility," Yang said at a launch ceremony of the 2024-2025 Shenzhen Sailing Week held at the Moon Bay in Nan'ao, Dapeng New Area, on Friday.
Yang and Zheng currently hold the records for the oldest active captain and the oldest female sailor in China. In 2015, they spent over 2 million yuan (US$273,000) on purchasing a Germany-imported sailboat, marking the beginning of their post-retirement sailing career. Over the past nine years, the couple has sailed 24,000 nautical miles, covering the entire South China Sea.
Statistics show that Shenzhen hosts about 60 sailing and windsurfing competitions each year, accounting for nearly one-third of the national total. Additionally, over 100,000 young people and adults receive sailing training in Shenzhen annually.