Running the trail to his roots

"There is something rare about Jiwu. Growing up in the mountains gave him a natural, unpolished presence that perfectly suits Yang Jian."

To prepare, Jiwu immersed himself in guqin music, practiced calligraphy, cared for plants, and returned to his hometown to retrace the 20-kilometer mountain route he had walked to school as a child.

"I remembered the sea of clouds I used to see from the mountaintop as a kid, floating halfway up the peaks," he says.

"I imagined that must be what a deity sees while living in the mountains. When I went back and stood at the summit, picturing the path of a divine being in flight, it inspired me." The role became his breakthrough.

Since then, Jiwu has appeared alongside Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Ka-fai, moved between action films and idol dramas, and performed at the Spring Festival Gala three times.

Whenever work takes him to a new city, he makes time to explore its nearby mountain trails.

Jiwu believes modern life moves too fast, leaving people overwhelmed by constant information and relentless pressure. Time in the mountains, he says, offers something increasingly rare: stillness.

"When you connect with the mountains, you find peace. You learn to be like them — steady, unmoved, unshaken when things get tough," he says.

Since taking up trail running, he has noticed that many of China's elite trail runners — such as Diri Hati, Shiye Yuedu and Luo Qiong — come from Liangshan and belong to the Yi ethnic group.

"I'm so happy for them," Jiwu says. "The mountains of my homeland shaped our resilience, and taught us never to give up. They also opened doors we never imagined."

The mountains he once dreamed of leaving have become the foundation beneath every step he takes.

Contact the writer at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn