"Problem children" walk hundreds of miles to Mount Tai to steel their will

A group of 30 adolescents walked along a street in Jinan, Shandong Province at about 11am on November 11. They all wore camouflage uniforms and down jackets, and carried a military water bottle. They even wore the same caps and gloves. Two at the front of the group each carried a flag which read “From Shijiazhuang to Mount Tai." The group walked so fast that sometimes the reporters had to run to catch up.

11-year-old Wang Wei, the youngest, leads the group in singing military songs  before meals.

The walking group marches on.

30 adolescents plan to walk to Mount Tai.

A group leader told reporters that they set off from Shijiazhuang on October 29. They walked to Jinan and had visited Daming Lake, Baotu Spring and some other scenic spots. They plan to continue walking to their destination Mount Tai. The entire journey is about 500 kilometers, and the group is expected to arrive at their destination in 18 days.

The group comprises 30 adolescents, including seven girls. The eldest member is 18 years old and the youngest is only 11 years old. They usually walk six kilometers per hour and about 35 kilometers a day. Sometimes they walk faster to cover a longer distance. These adolescents continued to walk fast and uniformly even if snow fell on their faces in the cold wind. Sometimes they shouted slogans, attracting the attention of many passers-by on the street.