A participant of the event who wears Peking Opera make-up and gives an impromptu performance during the walk. Photo: Li Hao/GT

 

Last Sunday, more than 140 people from China and overseas took part in a four-hour long march across the Great Wall to raise public awareness about HIV/AIDS and to bring an end to the prejudices faced by those in this country who suffer from the disease.

This is the third consecutive year the China AIDS Walk has been hosted at the Great Wall.

Unsuspecting tourists on the Great Wall were swarmed by a sea of people in red t-shirts, laughing and waving flags.

Swept up in the euphoria, some tourists hastily pull out their cameras to capture the moment, though many are not quite sure what is going on. Taking a closer look, they see the charity's logo emblazoned on the red shirts and written on the flags and signs, reinforcing their positive message, "I am willing to live/work/have sex with HIV positive people."

Hugs were freely exchanged between those infected with HIV/AIDS and those who were there to support them. 

"Building awareness is challenging; it takes ongoing work in every country," said American Nathan Keltner, 35, who made the trek with his partner.

In China, there remains widespread discrimination and condemnation against those who suffer from HIV/AIDS, exacerbated by a lack of understanding about the disease. The impression of the general public towards HIV/AIDS has been tainted by highly publicized media reports of an entire village in Henan Province being stricken with the disease through the unscrupulous practices of blood merchants reusing needles that have been contaminated with the virus. Consequently, many of those who have contracted the disease in China suffer the fate of pariahs, cast out from and condemned by society at large.

According to a Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention report released recently, there were 436,800 people with HIV/AIDS in China by the end of 2013.

To further promote understanding and greater acceptance of those infected with HIV/AIDS in the country, China AIDS Walk will hold similar events in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province and Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, for later in the year. 

Participants join hands in a merry dance after the event's conclusion. Photo: Li Hao/GT

The winners of the last sprint segment of the event. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Walkers settle down to lunch, with one participant taking the opportunity to strum his guitar. Photo: Li Hao/GT

 

Supporting the ones you love

"[Events like this] bring attention to issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, which can lead to research funding and further advances in treatment," said Keltner, who knows a number of people who have been infected with the virus.

Keltner has been living in Beijing for six years. He regularly attends educational programs, talks, and other community drives, especially those to do with issues affecting the LGBT community.

"It's really great to be around people who really care," he said.

Another person who was there to support his HIV positive friends was Liu Xiaoguang, 28, who works in advertising.

Liu admitted to initially believing in many of the myths that he is now working to dispel about HIV/AIDS. 

"At first, I was terrified by the thought of AIDS," said Liu. "But I've come to realize that most of the time, the reason people are afraid is due to a lack of knowledge." 

"Now, I think of AIDS as being no different from diabetes," he said.

New Yorker Colin Shepard, 42, who has just moved to Beijing, brought his wife and two children with him. He said he hoped that it would serve an educational purpose for his children.

"We are interested in people with HIV getting good care and treatment," he said.

Shepard said he had participated in similar events in the US.

"Only this one happens at the Great Wall. This one is more strenuous," he laughed.

Participants of the China AIDS Walk 2014 march across the Great Wall to raise awareness for AIDS. Photo: Li Hao/GT

 

The power of hugs

Along the Great Wall, the marchers stopped to mingle, take photographs and exchange hugs with tourists who just happened to be visiting the historical site. Tourists were told that it was completely safe to hug and kiss a HIV/AIDS infected person.

One of the tourists who was happy to share a hug was Cedric Fang, 24, who works in the IT industry.

"I don't know much about AIDS. I don't know about its routes of transmission actually," he said. "But I trust that the people here care about other people's well-being."

The act of hugging someone who is infected with HIV/AIDS is seen as a symbolic gesture of inclusiveness, against the discrimination that many HIV/AIDS people face. At the same time, it dispels the myth that HIV/AIDS can be transmitted through mere physical contact.

"Usually, people are only motivated to learn about something when the need arises," said Fang. "So I think it's great that these events can help people to learn about the importance of such information."

HIV/AIDS is primarily transmitted via unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated blood transfusion or hypodermic needles. It cannot be transmitted through the sharing of food or water, or through bodily fluids like saliva or tears.

Participants dash to the finish line. Photo: Li Hao/GT

 

The right to be happy

"Oftentimes, HIV-infected people look down on themselves," said Zhang Jinrong, who openly shares the fact that he is HIV positive.

Zhang is the founder of Rainbow China, a Hong Kong-based organization that is committed to educating the public about HIV/AIDS as well as advocating for equal rights for the LGBT community.

"It's not just that other people look at them differently - they set limits on themselves," said Zhang.

Zhang said many people who had been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS kept the information to themselves, for fear that their family members or friends would look harshly on them, or even disown them.

He said that events like the China AIDS Walk were invaluable in helping HIV/AIDS-infected people to view themselves in a more positive light.

"I've found if one person has enough self-esteem to live confidently and positively, it has an impact on other people's attitudes towards him or her," said Zhang. "I seldom ever meet people who will avoid me [just because I am HIV positive]."

The youngest participant on the China AIDS Walk was a 6-year-old girl, named Miaomiao (pseudonym). She did not hold any of the social prejudices about HIV/AIDS that make such events so necessary, and had no qualms about hugging Zhang.

"Although I don't know what AIDS is, I know that people who are sick shouldn't be treated badly," said Miaomiao. "They should be allowed to live happily too."