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Tag: rowing

  • Rowing team pulls together from China in search of immortality despite political headwinds

    In just under 2 days, on Saturday 25 May, two friends from Denmark and China, will set out in a rowing boat from Shensi Island off China’s east coast province of Zhejiang on Stage 1 of an epic expedition. The first 800km of this the New Xu Fu Voyage East will take the rowing pair out into the open waters of the East China Sea to Japan. The whole journey is 1,300kms with their final destination at Nobeoko on Kyushu Island. This Yantu Project, brainchild of Christian Havrehed, 54 and from Denmark, involves nautical adventures that promote Sino-Western understanding & the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This leg of the joureny is to retrace the route of Xu Fu, the ancient alchemist of China’s first Emperor, Qin Shihaung, and his quest to discover the elixir of immortality in 210BC.

    Christian Havrehed and Sun Haibin on a practice row on the New Xu Fu Voyage East off Shensi Island, Zhejiang Province, China

    Relations between China and the west have been at a low point for some years now but this expedition – involving Denmark’s first ocean rower, Christian Havrehed, and Sun Haibin 孙海滨，China’s first ocean rower – is underpinned by the Yantu voyage motto, “合作可以更多 : Together we can achieve more!” and their catch-phrase, “慢慢来 Don’t rush.” The expedition is the culmination of years of preparation and academic study and involves cross-cultural immersion at an extreme level.

    Christian believes that the Chinese may well have discovered America long before the 15th Century Voyage of Discovery by Christopher Columbus and this Stage 1 row is the first of four phases to assess  if that might have been possible via the Pacific Rim. During the voyage the pair will gain knowledge about ocean currents, coastlines and maritime travel that could support this thesis. The pair will also be investigating sustainable development goals 13 Climate Action and 14 Life Below Water.

    Sun Haibin and Christian Havrehed aim to re-trace the journey of alchemist, Xu Fu, in 210 BC

    So novel, inspiring and committed to scientific as well as historical exploration is this epic adventure, that the Explorers’ Club has given the expedition a Flag, only the 139th to be granted in the Club’s history since its founding in 1904.

    Testament to the inspiration that this expedition has generated in China, Christian and Sun Haibin were invited to take part in the Opening Ceremony of the Zhejiang Province 4th Ocean Games a few days ago. On Saturday morning the Danish Ambassador to China will wave them off in an official departure ceremony. The pair estimate that they will reach Nagasaki in 11 days. After that they will travel a further 500 kms around the coastline to their final destination on Sunday 30 June. As part of their charitable outcomes, the expedition will help to fund Xu Fu Environmental Scholarships to promote environmental awareness and sea rescue skills. 

    Zhejiang 4th ocean games ceremony Christian and Sun Haibin

    These last few days of preparation have involved shopping for food rations, ensuring that their water-maker works, making final adjustments to the boat, launching it in the water and sorting all their cargo into categories including “repair”, “tools”, electronics”, “medicine”, “abandon ship”, and stored accordingly. This is no weekend picnic; such a journey requires serious planning, total conviction and both mental and physical endurance. 

    Engage with China has believed in this New Xu Fu Voyage East for some years now when it first captured our imagination. We met up with Christian in Lowestoft in the UK during Covid in August 2020 to discuss the expedition. Our charity, which builds China literacy in UK schools, sees this sort of cross-cultural and educational engagement as pivotal to developing closer understanding and peace with China. We are proud to have the EwC logo emblazoned at the front of the boat alongside Yantu’s own and to have Christian as our very own Adventure Ambassador. We hope that this expedition will inspire young people, including athletes and particularly rowers, to believe that nothing is impossible.

    Sun Haibin and Christian are no strangers to ocean rowing. In 2001 they crossed the Atlantic in a rowing competition in 56 days – a journey of 5,000 kilometres. *You can buy Christian’s book about this ocean row, “From Tenerife to Barbados in a rowboat,” online.

    To find out more and to follow the expedition, click here. https://yantu.com/current-expedition/the-new-xu-fu-voyage-east/ where you can also find out ways to sponsor the expedition including inviting Christian to give an inspirational talk on his return.

    We will be following the journey with keen interest and hope that the winds will blow in the right direction and bring them safely to Japan!

  • ‘Reverse Viking’ row: Norfolk to Denmark in pursuit of re-writing of the history of exploration

    This Saturday, 08 August, Christian Havrehed, Danish adventurer, inspirational speaker & EwC Adventure Ambassador, will push off in an ocean-going rowing boat destined for Copenhagen in Denmark. This 300-nautical mile journey will include rowing both in the North Sea and up the Eider Kanal across Germany just as the Vikings did centuries ago. Setting out from Lowestoft Marina in Suffolk on a ‘reverse Viking row’ should take 4-8 days, subject to prevailing winds, weather and busy traffic in the shipping lanes. 

    This will not be Christian’s first sea-going row – nor his last! In 2001, he rowed with Chinese athlete, Sun Haibin, across the Atlantic in 56 days, in the newly inaugurated Ward-Evans Atlantic Rowing Challenge.  The purpose of the journey this Saturday is for Christian to take delivery of his new ocean rowing boat, in anticipation of a much larger row next year from Ningbo in Eastern China to Japan in May 2021.

    “I believe that history can be brought alive through the medium of adventure,” says Christian. “Since 2001, I have been researching whether the Chinese & Vikings visited America before Columbus. The row commencing on 08 August, together with further historical research and other nautical adventures, will look for physical clues to back up historical claims.” 

    The launch date, 08/08, is most auspicious in Chinese culture and is often associated with good luck. As it happens, the captain of this row will be Chris Martin, founder of New Ocean Wave Ltd, and the first person to row across both the Atlantic & the Pacific Oceans. Two marines will also be pulling the oars with them, on a gruelling 2-hour on and two hours off cycle so the crew should be in several pairs of safe hands!

    EwC directors, Theresa Booth & H-J Colston, will be at Lowestoft Marina on Saturday morning to cheer on the crew as they meet each other for the first time and familiarise themselves with the boat. The British are obsessed with the weather but, when you are about to set out into the North Sea, busy with ocean-going vessels, it is important to minimise risks, where possible. Subject to the weather and tides, the crew hopes to launch on the afternoon high tide.

    Christian’s company is called Yantu, (沿途) which in Chinese means “along the way.” His slogan is, “合作可以更多”or, “together we can do more.” Engage with China is proud to have been nominated as a Campaign support partner for these journeys and will accompany him virtually “along the way” as our logo will be visible on the side of the boat.

    Christian hopes to raise funds during these adventures to support cross-cultural understanding and Engage with China hopes that, by supporting Christian’s academic research and these adventures, we can do more together to build China literacy in UK schools by enabling young people to make connections across other curriculum subjects, such as history and geography and build curiosity about China.

    [To stay updated on this rowing journey and other EwC news, follow us on Twitter or sign up for our latest News]

  • Ocean rower becomes EwC “Adventure Ambassador”

    Engage with China is delighted to announce the appointment of its newest Ambassador, Christian Havrehed, adventurer, ocean-rower, inspirational speaker and founder of Yantu.com. A graduate in Chinese Studies from the University of Durham and always interested in the sea, Christian was deemed “crazy enough” to enter the newly inaugurated Ward-Evans Atlantic Rowing Challenge in 2001. His rowing partner was Chinese athlete, Sun Haibin, in what was considered a collaborative joint venture of mental and physical endurance. The journey from Tenerife to Barbados took the pair 56 days to accomplish. Both athletes became the first Dane and Chinese, respectively, to row an ocean, and Sun was even nominated Sportsman of the Year in China. 

    Former consultant at KPMG based in Hong Kong and then Shanghai, Christian has been interested in Chinese history for decades. His adventures aim to validate his research thesis that the Chinese, like the Vikings, reached America before Christopher Columbus. “I believe that history can be brought alive through the medium of adventure,” says Christian. It would seem that his own personal history also drives his interest in China and the oceans. Both his grandfather and great, great, great, great grandfather, were sea-farers who ended up working in China and Macau, the latter even learning mandarin which was illegal at the time.

    Christian’s research since 2001, revolves around the 219BC voyage by sorcerer Xu Fu, who, according to Chinese history, was sent by the First Emperor, Qin Shihuang, – (of Terracotta Warriors fame) – to bring back the elixir of immortality kept by the Gods in the Eastern Seas. Xu Fu made two voyages but never returned from the second.  No one knows where Xu Fu and his entourage settled, but there are temples dedicated to him, including along the east and west coasts of Japan. Christian, along with academics like the late Joseph Needham, believes that Xu Fu may have used the Kuroshio current to make it across the Pacific Ocean to America and settled there to escape certain death from the Emperor for deceiving him and failing to produce the elixir. 

    From his education during 6th form at Atlantic College in Cardiff, part of the United World College network, Christian believes that life must include an element of “giving back.” His adventures aim to raise money for UWC & other educational causes.

    Engage with China, an educational charity dedicated to building China literacy in UK schools, is delighted to be a Campaign Partner for Christian’s Yantu 沿途 project. Yantu in Chinese means “along the way.” We will be supporting his adventures on land and water and agree with his slogan that, “合作可以更多!” In these COVID times it is more important than ever to find ways for international cooperation and understanding – even if these are conducted upon the high seas!

    The next rowing adventure is coming soon… watch this space! Meantime, do read more about him http://www.engagewithchina.org/trustees/