A New World Record: British adventurer completes 4,000-mile trek along China's Yangtze River

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A British adventurer has become the first person to walk the entire length of China's Yangtze River. Ash Dykes started his trek from the Tibetan Plateau last August and finished it in Shanghai after nearly a full year on foot. CGTN's Wu Lei joined Dykes on his final kilometer and brings us this story.

Walking the entire length of China's Yangtze River, British Adventurer Ash Dykes arrived at his final destination Monday afternoon in Shanghai.

The 4,000 mile, or 6400 kilometer journey took 350 days, all on foot.

And the trek wasn't easy, especially not the first half.

ASH DYKES BRITISH ADVENTURER "We faced dangers, we were followed by wolves by a couple of days. We were told by locals that there were bears that coming out of the mountains that search for food."

Wild animals and extreme weather only complicated the daily journey of about 50 kilometers which brought physical and mental challenges.

And Dykes says the expedition was not made just for the personal achievement.

WU LEI SHANGHAI "Through the course of his journey, Ash aimed to raise awareness about China's biodiversity and environmental protection. After finishing the whole trek, Ash felt he achieved more than that."

He has shared his record-breaking experiences on social media platforms both at home and abroad.

ASH DYKES BRITISH ADVENTURER "One highlight of this journey is sharing of the beauty, when I shared it outside of China, a lot of people from western countries have been shocked, asking 'Is this real China'?"

Dykes already has two other world firsts to his name – he walked across Mongolia at the age of 24, and walked the length of the African island nation of Madagascar two years later.

Now with his own triple crown at 28, Dykes hopes to explore more of China.

ASH DYKES BRITISH ADVENTURER "I like to continue working with them to try to do more things here in China, as I said this is just a beginning."

Dykes is always on the road.

He encourages others to believe in themselves and in what they're doing, saying if he can do what he does, you can too.

Wu Lei, CGTN, Shanghai.