Man aims to become first to raft down Yellow River alone

Li Huacan rafts in Pearl River in May 27, 2014. [Photo/chinanews.com]

Li Huacan, or Shan Mite, 41, wants to be the first man to raft down the Yellow River–a 5,464 km journey alone which he hopes to spend ten months completing from May, reported xkb.com on Monday.

The journey will be a dangerous one, as seven pioneers of China's first rafting team to attempt the journey died along the way in 1987.

Li said, "Unfortunately seven people died for this. But this time, I will survive and be back."

According to Li, he plans to raft alone, starting from the source of the Yellow River in Bayan Har Mountains, Qinghai province, and ending his journey in Dongying, Shandong province, where the river meets the sea. He will pass through nine provinces and cover more than five thousand kilometers through the four changing seasons.

Although he considers it a realizable dream, many people believe it is insane to try.

Li has been rafting for eight years. He spent 64 days completing over 2,400 kilometers rafting the Pearl River during the first half of 2014.

Furthermore, he has canoed by himself across the Qiongzhou Strait, Bohai Strait, has circled Hainan Island, and has gone on rafting expeditions measuring 3,000 kilometers in routes in Thailand and Cambodia.

Despite his extensive experience, there is still no insurance company willing to cover him for this adventure. Li said he wishes there were, for the sake of his family, just in case.