Pan Duo, the first Chinese woman to reach the summit of Mount Qomolangma (commonly known in the West as Mount Everest), died of complications of diabetes at the age of 75 on Monday in Wuxi, Jiangsu province.
Pan ascended to the top of the world's highest peak at 2:30 pm on May 27, 1975 -accompanied by eight men. She was the first woman to reach the -summit via the mountain's north ridge.
Pan was born in Gyamda county in the Tibet Autonomous Region in 1939. Growing up in a poor family, she was forced to porter goods of over 30 kilograms on the -Himalayan roads when she was only 13. Her early years of suffering meant she was naturally trained with a strong body and fortitude.
When the China Female Mountaineering Expedition went to Lhasa in January 1959, Pan was selected for her outstanding physical attributes and commenced her mountaineering career.
Later that year in July, Pan climbed to the summit of Mount Mushitage in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which is 7,546 meters above sea level, breaking the then word record for women mountaineers.
Pan had already had three children before making her attempt on Mount Qomolangma. She was selected as one of the team leaders, and left her own electrocardiogram on the peak of the world after the team successfully made their record.
After retiring from the expedition, Pan lived in Wuxi, her husband Deng Jiashan's hometown, working for the -local sports bureau.
Pan was in 2009 honored as one of the 60 most influential Chinese athletes since 1949.
