A Trip Through Red Sands

I used to consider life a journey full of hardship， but since I started doing business， my attitude became more optimistic. Now I see life like a business trip that can inspire new successes， afford new opportunities， and enhance my competitiveness. After traveling tens of thousands of miles for business， I have learned much from the experience that you could never read in books. The metaphors for life to cross my mind became sweeter and pleasant.

At age 72， I visited two African countries， Madagascar and Namibia， with a group of businessmen from Ningbo. During our stay， we met local Chinese businessmen in Madagascar and visited the Namib Desert.

One day， we stayed in a hotel built against a steep cliff on Moon Bay.

We rose at 4 a.m.， before dawn， setting off to the Namibian desert known for its red color， a rarity in the world. The sun still hadn’t peeked over the horizon， and our tour guide sighed with relief， “You would have been burned！” Outside the window of the tour bus， we started seeing exotic grass of the red desert. Not tall but nicely arranged， amid the grass were bare circles of dirt， each as big as a banquet table seating 15 diners. It was strange that nothing grew in the circles of soil.

Such circles have attracted the attention of scientists， who attempted planting in the soil. The results showed the soil is normal and should be able to support any plants. Why doesn’t anything grow there？ Are there minerals or radioactive substances underground？ Some drilled 20 meters deep to test the soil， and still found nothing special. The circles remain a mystery to this day， and people call them “strange circles.”

“Strange circles” on sand dunes create a wonderful picture on the red desert. Red sand dunes lacking any vegetation were accented by sparsely-scattered withered grass. “It rains only twice a year，” I was told.

The scene changed a little when we arrived in Death Valley， where some tall trees stood firm. “These trees stop growing for 3，000 years and don’t rot for another 3，000 years after they die，” the tour guide claimed. She reminded us not to take a single grain of red sand. “Customs will detain you！”

With a history of 80 million years， the Namib Desert is the oldest in the world. At this World Heritage site， every grain counts.

As a new tourist， learning the long and comprehensive history of the red desert was on my agenda. History has buried the desolated ancient path. We don’t need to be bothered by its past and future. The truth is that we still have it – right here， right now. People are stunned by its fantastic vistas， yet don’t know how they came to be. Man is insignificant compared to the power of nature.

Chu Jiwang is president and founder of the Ningbo Ruyi Joint Stock Co.， Ltd.， a major Chinese logistics equipment manufacturer. More than just an entrepreneur， Chu is a recipient of the China Charity Award， the top philanthropic honor in the country. In each issue， he shares his business insights and inspirations gained from his life experience.