Cheche and Zhao Xiaoyue, two women with very different personalities, found their common ground in Vancouver. They reject preaching, insisting on taking their children to swim in the Arctic Ocean and to see the sea in Antarctica, measuring the breadth of the Earth with their footsteps. They break the shackles of profession and identity, heal their anxieties through travel, and build a worldview for the next generation that is broader than any book.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major coastal city in western Canada, founded as a sawmill settlement called “Gastown” in the 1860s. It was incorporated as the city of Vancouver in 1886, shortly before the arrival of the transcontinental railway, which established it as a key Pacific port. Today, it is known for its stunning natural setting, diverse population, and vibrant urban culture.
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world’s five oceans, centered on the North Pole and largely covered by a permanent, shifting layer of sea ice. Historically, its coastal regions have been inhabited by Indigenous peoples for millennia, while its exploration by outsiders intensified during the 19th and 20th centuries in search of trade routes like the Northwest Passage. Today, it is a region of significant scientific study and geopolitical interest due to climate change and resource potential.
Antarctica
Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost continent, characterized by its vast ice sheets and extreme climate. While it has no indigenous human population, its modern history began with early 20th-century exploration, most famously the race to the South Pole between Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott in 1911–1912. Today, it is governed by an international treaty system dedicated to scientific research and environmental preservation.
