Bao Zhengbin is swimming in the river. ?

A man who is swimming from Wuhan to Shanghai to visit Shanghai Expo is now half way to success.

The 56-year-old Bao Zhengbin is an enthusiastic fan of swimming.

"The first time I went to Shanghai by boat I was moved by the beautiful scenery along the Yangtze River. I was only 12 years old then, but the idea of swimming to Shanghai came across my mind," Bao said.

Now, 44 years later, Bao began to realize his dream. He set off from Wuhan on July 7.

He called his journey a cultural trip, an environmental protection trip and a dream-realizing trip.

"It is my dream to swim to Shanghai to visit Expo. The dream is getting closer to me since I set off on July 7," Bao said.

According to Bao's plan, he would swim 1200 kilometers to get to Shanghai in 35 days. On July 28, Bao arrived at Nanjing, which made him very excited.

"Nanjing is a very important city in my trip. I will go to see Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, which is of historic significance," said Bao.

After one day's rest and sightseeing in Nanjing, Bao continued his trip yesterday morning. After 20-kilometer swim, he arrived at Ba Guazhou at 11:20 am on the north bank of Yangtze River.

"My range of vision was limited due to the fog over the Yangtze River. But the water temperature is OK. Above all, I overcame all the difficulties to arrive the north bank from the south," Bao noted.

Bao works in the telecommunication sector in Wuhan.