New novel weaves mountaineering with business

The launch of a new novel about mountaineering and the spirit of Chinese entrepreneurship was held recently in Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region.

Titled Qomolangma Conch, the novel was 10 years in the making for author Huang Nubo. It tells the story of Ying Fu and his adventures climbing the world's highest mountain, Qomolangma (Mount Everest).

The story ranges from mountaineering expeditions to emotional entanglements and the uncertainties of business.

In real life, the author himself is a well-known climber who has successfully reached the tops of the highest mountains on seven continents. He has been to the summit of Qomolangma three times.

The book launch was attended by entrepreneurs, poets and writers, with Huang relating some of his experiences and thoughts about climbing to the audience.

Pan Kaixiong, former vice-president of People's Literature Publishing House, said, "The core spiritual focus in Qomolangma Conch has many things in common with entrepreneurship. For example, tenacity is an inseparable part of an enterprise growing from weak to strong, and mountaineering is the same."

Pan is also a literary critic.

Entrepreneurs hope their enterprises will become bigger and better, reaching metaphorical summits, he said. Likewise, mountaineers do the same, though their summits are literal.

"Enterprises should give back to society," he said. "Mountaineering is not only a sport but also a process of understanding life and purifying one's soul."