Yang Liusong has had firsthand experience of Mother Nature's wrath. In his 40s, Yang danced with death many times when he ventured through the treacherous terrain of the vast, uninhabited Changtang region in the early 2010s, and crossed the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, the world's largest of its kind, during the rainy season, amid floods and landslides.

Both destinations sit in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region and, at times, seem to ridicule human presence.

Yang's experiences have since inspired films, while tales of his adventures in the form of books have sparked waves of inspiration among various generations, encouraging them to explore and experience the wilderness.

"People asked me, 'Why venture alone into the depths of the wilderness?' but I don't have a clear answer. Perhaps it's the same as those captivated by a certain mountain or enchanted by a particular river. I am obsessed by barely touched lands," Yang says.

He maintains that this is an era with few outdoor adventures, but it cannot be an era without exploration of nature and oneself.

This belief had him spending the past five years struggling to deliver his debut movie, Secret Land, which premiered nationwide on Friday.

Set against the backdrop of Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, the movie he independently directed presents breathtaking mountains, tranquil forests and vast grasslands, offering audiences an authentic and awe-inspiring experience of the mysterious Yarlung Tsangpo region.

Over 80 percent of the movie's scenes take place in untouched, pristine forests. The cliffs, glaciers and waterfalls depicted on screen were captured on location, Yang notes.

He says he wants to present the thrills and spills of a mountain adventure while hammering home the majestic harmony between humanity and nature.

Yang hopes the film can inspire a sense of reverence for nature while offering insights to those feeling trapped in society.

"No matter how dire our circumstances, there's always a way out. The world remains full of endless possibilities," he says.

The film follows four strangers of different backgrounds who meet at a youth hostel and embark on a journey deep into the Yarlung Tsangpo forest in search of a beautiful butterfly. Along this butterfly-seeking journey, they face numerous challenges posed by nature, overcoming crises one by one. Through mutual understanding and collaboration, they forge a priceless friendship and, with unwavering determination, overcome all obstacles to complete their quest.

The actors and actresses had no prior outdoor experience and pulled off their own stunts without any understudies.

"The outdoors is not a competitive game; it's an extension of one's inner longing for the distant. The characters in the movie are just like people in our lives, the ones around us. Their adventures into uncharted territories should resonate deeply with everyone," Yang says.

The crew traveled across Minya Konka, also known as Gongga Mountain, with the highest peak at more than 7,500 meters above sea level in the Hengduan Mountains spanning the vast plateau of western Sichuan province, and shot scenes from southeastern Xizang.

They crossed glaciers, climbed cliffs and even endured leech bites for the sake of authenticity.

Dangerous moments were inevitable and unpredictable, often sending chills down Yang's spine.

"I was under tremendous pressure. After all, a movie isn't worth much if someone gets hurt in the process," Yang says, adding that the crew had to adapt throughout filming.

He recalls the final day when they had to shoot a cliff scene and the entire team was close to their physical limit.

"Everyone summoned their strength to climb the mountain. After much effort, the cameras and actors were finally in position only for a torrential downpour and thunderstorm to strike. Everyone scrambled madly to a nearby cave to take shelter," he says.

However, what surprised him the most was that no one left the team, but pulled through without faltering.

He admits there is a reflection of himself in the characters and the movie is inevitably a projection of his inner values.

"This film stemmed from my passion for adventure and reflections on the relationship between humans and society. It is ultimately a state of mind, not just about nature but how we can better understand and interpret the connection between humans and society through the lens of the natural world," he says.

Yang had multiple near-misses during his traverse of the Changtang region, which has now become a national nature reserve covering a total area of 298,000 square kilometers, making it one of the highest-altitude and largest natural reserves in China.

The reserve has no human inhabitants in its core area and has served as a sanctuary for a unique high-altitude ecosystem and a variety of large, hoofed animals.

In 2017, Changtang, along with the national nature reserves of Hoh Xil in Qinghai province and Altun Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, jointly issued an announcement prohibiting all organizations or individuals from engaging in unauthorized and illegal crossing activities within the protected areas.

At its worst, Yang didn't get access to water resources in the wilderness.

"I was in an endless expanse of salt marshes with no drinkable water to be found. By the end of the day, my mouth was completely ulcerated, stuck together, and it felt like my throat was closing up, making it hard to breathe," he recalls.

"I began to experience confusion and auditory hallucinations. At night, I worried that I wouldn't be able to open my mouth in the morning, so I used a binder clip to keep it open," he adds.

Fortunately, it snowed later and pulled him back from the brink of death.

However, Yang says that his love for the distant and unknown nature helped him overcome the terrible conditions that he would not have been able to tolerate otherwise and acquire toughness and confidence throughout the journey.

Xiao Han, who works for an outdoor lifestyle media organization in Beijing, says that he was moved after watching the actors shout in triumph on top of the mountain.

"There was huge applause when the film ended," Xiao says, adding that the movie made him realize that travel is a form of self-cultivation, and so is life.

"This is precisely like Journey to the West (a classic novel by Wu Cheng'en during the 16th century) — enduring trials of life and death, obtaining the true scriptures and ultimately achieving enlightenment," Xiao says.

Guo Yingqian, from the Chinese National Geography, says that she feels like the information from the movie is overwhelming and needs follow-up research to fully take it in.

She considers the movie a window to carry people's passion for nature and provide spiritual solace in their journey of self-discovery.

Yang says that the movie presents all relationships for him, encompassing connections between people and between humans and nature.

"Relationships between people are additive, while those between humans and nature are subtractive, requiring a delicate balance," he says.

He points out that the former often dominates daily life, making it essential to deepen one's connection with nature. This connection fosters inner tranquility and harmony, representing a return to one's essence.

Yang emphasizes that cities and wilderness are not opposite, and his movie seeks to portray their intrinsic relationship.

"The journey of four companions venturing deep into the grand canyon is also a process of shutting out the world's complexities. They must not only overcome the harsh natural environment but also break through the barriers within their hearts," he says.

"When all challenges are surmounted, the real test begins: finding and understanding themselves."

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