Simba, aged four, finally set foot in the Antarctic Circle, after four months of adventures across South America, becoming the youngest Chinese to have ever been inside both circles.

Little Simba acquired his name from the classic movie The Lion King. His parents chose to give him this name, with the hope that their son could grow as healthily and freely as the little lion.

Xu Chenghua, Simba’s father, first tried to give Simba the travel bug by organizing one-day tours when his son was aged one and a half. When Xu saw Simba looking down at a large blue lake with great curiosity, he was convinced that kids can truly feel and react to nature, even if they don't have the ability to express their feelings with words.

Xu, a professional hiking guide, is nicknamed “Lao Ji” (meaning “old” and “extreme” in Chinese), as he loves to take part in extreme sports. He has left his footprints on both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, as well as on the roof of the world.

The first time Simba saw an elephant, he didn’t see it at the zoo, but in a forest in Laos. Elephants were in their natural habitat eating grass, instead of performing for humans in a circus show, which Lao Ji considers as an act against nature.

When Simba finally learned how to speak at the age of two and a half, he blurted out, “I want to see polar bears.” Without saying another word, Lao Ji took his son to the Arctic. 

The whole journey to the Arctic, which took the father and son over 185 days and saw them pass through 12 countries, bestowed little Simba opportunities to see not only polar bears but also reindeer, not to mention the Northern Lights.

At the end of 2016, Simba started another epic journey, traveling from Ecuador all the way south through Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and finally to the Antarctic Circle. 

Since the family traveled mostly on foot, or via motorcycle, car and boat, Simba experienced more unexpected dangers and difficulties than your typical tot. 

Once, Simba and Lao Ji used a zip-line to reach a waterfall across a crayon. When they arrived, Lao Ji, who himself had been scared by the strong winds, complimented his son and told him "you have been very brave."

Simba conceded, "But I still feel a little bit scared." 

Lao Ji looked at his son, and said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to confront fear."

On their way to the mystic Machu Picchu, a 15th-century Inca settlement on an iconic mountain ridge in Peru, the family was caught in a freezing storm at a mountain pass 4,200 meters above sea level. They were totally soaked and feared for their lives in the extreme weather, when they saw a crude shack built from wood and stone. 

A middle-aged woman came out. At the sight of the family looking like frozen popsicles, she quickly lit a fire to keep warm. 

Sitting around the fire and gradually feeling the blood again moving through his veins, Simba said, "Dad, we have to give the grandma money to thank her for helping us."

Lao Ji was glad, "Besides giving her money, you have to be grateful from the bottom of your heart. You have to remember to try your best to help when other people are in need."

It has never been an ordinary journey. Lao Ji has his own philosophy when it comes to traveling: You experience happiness and also pain.

After more than four months in South America, Simba finally boarded an expedition ship to the Antarctic. He became the youngest Chinese to have ever set foot on Antarctica. Lao Ji had been in talks with the expedition ship six months in advance to make sure they were happy to accept a child as young as Simba. 

On February 21, the ship arrived on the Antarctic Peninsula against the mad waves of the Drake Passage, and five days later, it crossed the Antarctic Circle. 

Simba spent four days within the Antarctic Circle along with his parents, watching penguins, seals and whales and even drawing them. 

A zoologist on the ship encouraged Simba to protect animals. Simba then decided to call on the public to protect animals with his drawings.

Lao Ji said he doesn’t have many expectations from Simba, nor does he care much about whether the young boy can remember their journeys at such an age. He and his wife only hope that they can give their him a happy childhood in the company of his parents. And they believe that everything he has experienced along the way has impressed him physically and mentally.

(Adapted from an article published by Efifan WeChat account)