2025 Outdoor Year in Review

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I spent most of this year holed up working,

but thankfully, I didn’t shut out the scenery completely.

Check out my recap video: Your browser does not support the video tag.

The video is packed with never-before-seen Easter eggs!

Icefield Hiking in Urumqi

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

My first time experiencing the snowfields of Xinjiang firsthand.

All I can say is that the experience was absolutely incredible. It wasn’t nearly as cold as I had imagined; in fact, I actually felt quite hot (although the trail difficulty was relatively low). For the detailed video, please look out for my upcoming annual review.

A Fantastic Journey to Altay

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Perhaps the filters used for Lake Brienz in the K-drama were unnecessary,

but Kanas in September,

is a movie in itself.

Check out our video footage: Your browser does not support the video tag.

A magical scene unfolded at the Diaoyutai (Fishing Pavilion). The weather wasn’t cooperating that morning; hail started falling the moment the shuttle bus dropped us off on the mountain. We bit the bullet and hiked up to the highest peak, and suddenly, the sky cleared up. We didn’t miss out on this beautiful piece of amber.

An equally magical moment happened at the Tuluke Rock Paintings, but it was really strange: why did this trail feel completely abandoned? We didn’t even notice the rock paintings, but this has got to be the absolute best viewing spot for Kanas Lake!

The next day, we saw another side of Kanas Lake at the Three Bays.

Before heading to Kanas, we also visited Baihaba in the far northwest of China, and found the scenery across the border to be surprisingly pristine and magnificent.

We only slept in the tent for one night. We took advantage of the time before the cold snap hit to gaze at the long-lost starry sky, though unfortunately, our gear was too crappy to capture how breathtaking it was in person. Anyway, we fell asleep listening to the wind and rain that night, and woke up freezing the next morning.

Then the cold snap actually hit, so we had no choice but to retreat to a 300-RMB-a-night guesthouse—but I have to admit, it was super comfortable! That evening, we still cooked dinner in the kitchen like a camping meal and watched a badminton final (though I forgot which tournament it was).

The funniest part is that the three of us only did one thing across all the tourist spots in Kanas: we ate grilled sausages from every single vendor…

Of course, in Burqin, we also had the best banmian (pulled noodles) we’ve eaten in Xinjiang in years!!! (Daidai’s Lapizi Banmian and Zhuafan )

During this little gap trip (since we had been stuck at school all summer), one person was terrified of getting mauled by a bear, another was walking around blowing vape clouds from his “character enhancer,” and someone else kept making plans only to watch them get completely derailed by reality.

📷 Photo Credits (Excluding Videos)

Oops, by the way, all the photos above (except the last one) were taken by Sidney Wong with his beloved Panasonic GX85.

Hit him up on Instagram: @aminoacid.w

After the strong winds, are the flowers in these photos still at the Forbidden City?

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It’s a shame.

That day, I was too busy admiring Monet’s Water Lilies and Lu Xun’s century-old lilacs. Plus, it was cloudy, so I didn’t really take a good look at the Forbidden City.

Check out the video footage from that day: Your browser does not support the video tag.

Outdoors on Hugo Chu

2025 Outdoor Year in Review

Icefield Hiking in Urumqi

A Fantastic Journey to Altay

After the strong winds, are the flowers in these photos still at the Forbidden City?