A 15-year-old student from Shenzhen has made history on Mount Everest, becoming both the youngest Chinese male to summit the world’s highest peak and the youngest male in the world to do so via the Nepal route.

Li Zixuan, a ninth-grade student at Hanlin School in Futian District, reached the 8,848-metre summit at 9:20 am local time on 20 May after an overnight push that began at 9 pm the previous evening.

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Between 8,400 and 8,500 metres, Li faced temperatures of around -20°C and freezing winds. He pressed on regardless, planting his flag at the top of the world and breaking two records simultaneously.

The achievement carries a striking personal dimension. Li’s father, Li Chunsheng, summited Everest on the same date, 20 May, eight years earlier in 2018, making this a father-and-son milestone.

Li’s path to Everest began three to four years ago when he joined his father on a community clean-up at Shenzhen’s Tanglang Mountain. He went on to complete the “Ten Peaks of Shenzhen” in just over a month.

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In summer 2025, he summited Gangshika Peak at 5,005 metres and Kangmeilong Peak at 6,334 metres in a single week, followed by Luodui Peak at 6,010 metres in October. In early 2026, he underwent professional ice climbing training at Shuangqiaogou to build endurance in extreme conditions. He also placed fifth in the U15 category of the national rock climbing Hope Star series in South China.

Li is a member of the Shenzhen Public Rescue Team’s youth auxiliary unit. His school supported his Everest preparations throughout, coordinating around his academic schedule.
Shenzhen, notably, has the highest number of Everest summiteers of any city in China, with 65 individuals reaching the peak across 75 ascents as of 2025.