Xinhua
5th November 2023
Feature: A visually impaired grandmother and her "invisible" tour group
A 10-person group, mostly made up of visually impaired people, visited a chrysanthemum exhibition in a mountain in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, using their noses and hands to appreciate the blossoming vibrancy.
The trip was organized by 71-year-old "tour guide" Cai Meiqi, who has, since 2007, helped over 1,000 blind people travel from high mountains in Chongqing, the Great Wall in Beijing to the seaside beach in Thailand.
"Without Cai, none of this could happen," said Li Daosheng, a 65-year-old masseur who took his first trip in 2008.
Cai herself is visually impaired, having been born with only one eye. With resistant efforts, she became a Chinese medicine physician. After retirement, she participated in volunteer work for the blind. She found that besides learning money-earning skills, many people voiced a strong desire to "see" the world