In 1932, the 'Sikong Expedition' set off from Shanghai and headed down the Yangtze (now Yangzi) River to attempt the first known successful ascent of the mysterious Mount Gongga in Sichuan Province. The group consisted of four Americans who were originally part of a larger Explorers Club expedition that never took place due to various delays and geopolitical events. So the four ended up planning their own expedition following a brief spell as part of the American Company of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps.
The purpose of the original expedition was to explore and survey the region and gather samples of flora and fauna, along with an attempt to climb Mt. Gongga. Was Mount Gongga taller than Mount Everest? Why had it never been climbed by a foreigner and why was it so difficult? Even today there have been fewer than 40 recorded climbs. This talk will discuss the famous expedition and how the area looks today.
Speakers
Harriet Gaywood is the Founder of Anoumis Communications and Trailing Around Asia which offers public relations and consulting services for corporate, tech and sports brands. Harriet has worked in China for over 25 years in communications. She came to China as a postgraduate student at Shanghai Music Conservatory and wrote a dissertation comparing the roles of the Guqin and Guzheng in society. She holds a BA and MA in Music from Durham University, an MA in Mass Communications from Leicester University, UK with a dissertation about the changes in China’s media between 1992 -2002; an Executive MBA from Hult International Business School; and an MA in International Affairs with Cybersecurity from King's College London, UK with a dissertation titled ‘From Nuclear to Cyber: Evolution of the People’s War in China’. In 2025 she published ‘Trailing Around Asia: Mud, Sweat & Bears’ on Amazon about running 1850k of races and climbing over 90,000m (over ten times the height of Mt. Everest) which won the Literary Titan Gold Award. She is a regular contributor to Runners Life and Towards AI. Harriet started trail running in her 40s and is now a trail runner with FUGA Mountain Club. She is often seen at high altitude races in Sichuan and Yunnan and has qualified twice for Ultra Trail Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in Chamonix, France.
Sponsors and Partners
Tickets
RAS Institutional Members
RMB 100
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Duke Kunshan University Community
RMB 100
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Buy TicketThis ticket is available to all members of the Duke Kunshan University community who register with a valid @dukekunshan.edu.cn email address.