Qingdao's shores make dreams come true

Today, while preparing for various M32 sailing competitions, Zheng continues to manage his social media accounts, hoping more people will learn about his sailing journeys.

"What I really want to do is inspire more Qingdao children to dream of sailing," he says.

"Many local kids love it, but not all of them know it can be a career, a path that leads to the world. I hope my story will show young people in Qingdao, just like the boy I once was, that sailing isn't just a fun activity. It's a road that can take you anywhere, a path to realizing who you are."

Xin Kejiang, deputy director of the water sports development and promotion department at the Qingdao Sports Development Center, notes that the public sailing experience events hosted at the center are always well received. In a recent release of 500 spots, all were fully booked overnight.

He adds that while the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center continues to serve as a training ground for primary and secondary school students, as well as local university sailing clubs, its tourism function has grown significantly in recent years, offering catamaran and monohull sailing experiences for both adults and children.

The center now receives more than 130,000 sailing tourists annually.

Xin himself prefers monohull sailboats. "The greatest thrill comes from battling the wind and waves — especially in strong winds, when the boat can heel at a 45-degree angle, and waves wash over the deck. It's highly athletic, intensely stimulating, and a real test of skill," he says.

For Xu Xiaoxiao, a visitor from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, opting for the more stable catamaran experience during her trip in early August turned out to be a highlight of her visit to Qingdao.

"Lying on the deck of the sailboat at dusk, watching the sunset glow over the skyscrapers onshore as the boat gently rocks with the swell, not too rough, just the right amount, is incredibly therapeutic," she says.

"Next time, I'd like to try the more thrilling monohull."

Nearly two decades after the Olympic flame left Qingdao, the sailing center remains a place of beginnings. For Zheng, it was where a childhood dream took wing. Today, it offers the same wind to anyone who steps aboard, whether chasing a trophy, a sunset or a future they haven't yet imagined.