Thomas (left) and Jimmy view the sunset at the Jiankou section of the Great Wall in Huairou District, Beijing, autumn 2021.

I'm Thomas Lindesay, a 2022 graduate of the School of International Studies, Peking University. I'm a hybrid. My father comes from Liverpool of England, and my mother comes from Xi'an, Shaanxi. I grew up in Beijing and I consider myself a native Beijinger even though I was not born here.

Before graduation, one of my schoolmates asked me, "Thomas, what are you going to do after graduating?"

"I'm going to trek the Great Wall," I replied.

It may sound weird, but it has been my family's dream for two generations.