The climbers interpreted the school motto spirit of "hard work, simplicity, truth-seeking and pragmatism" and the Wuhan spirit of "daring to be the first and pursuing excellence" with practical action, they said.

Cheng Jun, Party secretary of School of Marine Science and Technology at the university, said Chen is fond of mountaineering and loves Mount Qomolangma and has been to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau more than 20 times over a decade.

"As a scientist, Chen nicely combined his hobby with his career. His successful climb of Qomolangma has great significance for the study of the mountain," Cheng said.

The father said he would stick to his original intention to closely combine his passion with his academic specialty, engage in scientific research in the areas where the country needs it, write papers about his motherland and nurture more first-class talent in the months to come.

In 2020, he won the honorary title "Good teacher in Hubei province".

His son, Chen Lihao, is a national first-class mountaineer and a national second-class rock climber. In July 2019, the duo successfully reached the top of Mount Muztagata, a 7,546-meter peak on the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.