20 | Monday, April 19, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS
FITNESS
By SHI FUTIAN hai’s total sports industry was valued [email protected] at over 178 billion yuan ($27 billion) in 2019, growing at an average rate of To celebrate the 100th anniversa 18 percent since 2014. ry of the Communist Party of China Centenary celebrations Zhejiang boasts 12 Olympic cham this year, the nation’s sports com pions with 18 Olympic golds. Official munity is staging a series of special statistics show that about 42 percent events to honor the CPC’s glorious of the province’s population regularly history and further promote the participates in sports. In addition, it national fitness campaign. is the home to 11 national sports Among the multitude of events so going the extra mile industry bases, with its sports indus far was a longdistance relay run in try valued at 261.5 billion yuan and Zhejiang province on April 11. A total comprised of over 36,000 companies. of 800 runners from 100 teams start Party’s 100year anniversary hits the road for longdistance relay race The province is also preparing to host ed the 132.8kilometer challenge at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. the memorial site of the First “Sports can be an indicator of a National Congress of the CPC in nation’s overall strength, and sports Shanghai, with the finish line locat development is closely connected to ed at a site of huge historical signifi a country’s overall development. cance to the Party — the South Lake Under the leadership of the CPC, in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. Zhejiang’s sports sector has experi In 1921, the first CPC National enced tremendous development for Congress reconvened in a red boat the past century along with social on the lake after it was interrupted and economic growth,” said Zheng by authorities in what was then the Yao, the director of Zhejiang Sports French concession in Shanghai. Bureau. “I’m very excited to attend the “To facilitate sports development, event today. It’s an opportunity to we have been exploring new meth influence the next generation,” said ods and have achieved great results Bao Qi, a 97yearold former navy in competitive sports, grassroots fit general who was a guest of honor at ness and the sports industry. the relay’s brief opening ceremony. “Sports can also greatly benefit “I joined the Communist Party of people’s lives, of course. The health China in 1942 — nearly 80 years ago. ier people are, the more power a I lived in Shanghai through my society can harness for its overall childhood. When I was in the sec development. We should provide ond year of middle school, my teach people with the best quality and er at that time called us to defend most convenient sports service via our nation in the War of Resistance a variety of methods.” Against Japanese Aggression. That’s Zhejiang is certainly delivering on when I became a soldier. those principles. Deqing county in “The CPC leads the country to be Huzhou, for example, is attracting stronger and richer. I want to encour urbanites from nearby cities to its age the future generations of our Moganshan Sports Town to enjoy country to keep fighting for China outdoor activities and clean air in and build a better and better future.” the mountainous area. The eightman Jiaxing Red Boat The 185squarekilometer Mogan Pioneers team ran out the winner of shan township has a population of the grueling race, clocking an 31,000, with forest coverage of 90 impressive 7 hours 50 minutes and percent. The area’s rugged terrain 19 seconds. makes it a perfect location to host “Our team is comprised of physi outdoor activities. cians, students, teachers and police Runners in Shanghai set off on a themed longdistance relay race staged as part of the celebrations to mark the 100year anniversary of the Xia Yusen operates a sports officers. We are all regular partici foundation of the Communist Party of China. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY themed homestay, named Qiyu, in pants in marathons and longdis Moganshan Sports Town. Each tance running events,” said team week he organizes various outdoor leader Kong Jie. sports activities, such as hiking, “This is a very special event for all camping and mountain biking, with of our runners. And we are deeply both visitors and locals signing up honored to run the race. We hope for the fun. our spirit can influence others and “I want to attract all sports lovers attract more people to running and to my homestay so we can enjoy the sports in general. We want to make benefits and fun of outdoor activi our own contribution to the nation ties. We can gather together and al fitness campaign.” communicate,” said Xia, who Guaranteeing the safety of all par claimed his business earned about ticipants without compromising the 400,000 yuan ($61,000) profit last quality of the race was a tough chal year. lenges for organizers. With the COV “Visitors can play various sports ID19 pandemic still raging in many here in the homestay such as table parts of the world, runners, staff, vol tennis, rock climbing, swimming unteers and media were required to and have fitness training in our report their travel histories within 14 gym. And we also have outdoor days and submit negative COVID19 activities here like hiking and test results 72 hours in advance. mountain biking. We organize dif Runners were required to main A total of 800 runners from 100 teams started the 132.8kilometer Bao Qi, a 97yearold former navy general who joined the CPC in ferent outdoor sports activities tain a meter’s distance from each race, which finished in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. 1942, was a guest of honor at the race’s opening ceremony. according to the weather conditions other at each of the seven change PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY of the different seasons. over points, and were asked to wear “I have turned my sports hobby face masks after the race. marathon races, and we continuous hosted test events. After we made little surprise considering both 400 Shanghai natives have been into my career. I can use my experi Twohundred referees, 300 volun ly communicated with Shanghai on the announcement to host the Shanghai and Zhejiang boast a rich crowned world champions across a ence in sports to better serve the local teers and over 3,000 security staff how best to host such a special event, we received very positive sports tradition, fastgrowing sports vast array of sports. In the last five residents and visitors who come to were on duty to safeguard runners, event,” said Wang Lei, the director of feedback from local runners and economies and massive grassroots years, Shanghai has organized over Moganshan and let them enjoy the while 37 medical stations — 20 in Jiaxing Sports Bureau, coorganizer running groups. And we had great sports populations. 700 major domestic and interna charm of outdoor sports activities. Shanghai and 17 in Zhejiang prov of the relay. input from other government Since the founding of the Peo tional sports events. There are many famous sports town ince — were positioned along the “Both Shanghai and Jiaxing were departments and enterprises.” ple’s Republic of China under the According to 2019 data from the in the world, but they are not so com track. Shanghai provided 15 ambu the birthplaces of the Communist leadership of the CPC, a total of 13 city’s sports bureau, 43.7 percent of mon in China. I hope to help build lances; Zhejiang had 10 at the ready. Party of China. We’ve been planning Money spinner Olympians from Shanghai have Shanghai’s population regularly par Moganshan into one of the country’s “Jiaxing has experience of hosting the event since last year and we even The success of the relay comes as won 19 Olympic gold medals, while ticipate in sports activities. Shang most renowned sports towns.” Zhejiang shapes up with a smarter way to exercise
By SHI FUTIAN with enough sports fields, scientific guidance, and platforms to commu Queues for the equipment, locker nicate through sports.” room overcrowding and expensive Larger sports centers in Zhejiang membership subscriptions are all are also enjoying the benefits of the toocommon headaches for users of smart system. Huanglong Sports gyms in big cities. Exercise enthusi Center in Hangzhou, for example, is asts in certain parts of Zhejiang, able to provide data to managers however, are free of such inconven and visitors, such as the age and gen iences thanks to the province’s der ratios of all registered members. pioneering technological approach The center will be used to host to mass fitness. soccer, gymnastics and water polo at The Tianxing community in Jiax the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, ing is at the vanguard of Zhejiang’s and boasts two stadiums and six exercise innovation. All of the neigh gymnasiums. borhood’s 30 sports fields and fit Huanglong’s Baoyugang Natato ness centers use a smart online rium has installed an online reser system that allows members to see An online smart system employed at a number of gyms in Zhejiang province gives users a realtime view of exactly how many people are vation system, allowing swimmers exactly how many people are using using the various facilities. SHI FUTIAN / CHINA DAILY to see how many people are using each facility, thereby helping them the pool in realtime. plan their workouts more wisely. COVID19 prevention measures. user 3 yuan ($0.46). The monthly equipment and decoration. The tant. We are witnessing a huge surge “We need to keep improving the Users can also communicate with Data generated by the smart sys membership card is 60 yuan, which investment all comes from the in demand for sports and fitness,” quality of our service and further each other through various groups tem — pinpointing the most popu works out at 2 yuan a day. The annu government.” said Wang Lei, the director of Jiax facilitate the smooth operation of on the platform, select different lar activities, for example — means al membership card is only 365 Jiaxing’s Tanghui community has ing Sports Bureau. our smart system and lower the classes to join, sign up for competi the gyms can better cater to their yuan, which means only 1 yuan each embraced a similar model. The com “People need to exercise, so they cost. Meanwhile, we aim to host tions or find opponents for solo members’ needs, ultimately result time,” said Shen Kai, who is in munity has 91 sports fields and should know how to do it scientifi more highlevel domestic and inter sports. The system even collates ing in more efficient management of charge of Tianxing’s gyms. venues, with 85 sports groups and cally. We also might want to play national sports events,” said Shen people’s total exercise time and the facilities. “Entry to the gyms is free for 65 fitness instructors attracting sports with friends, sometimes be Bin, the director of Huanglong ranks it against other users. Since launching in May 2020, the under18s and over60s. And we nearly 6,000 people to its smart competitive and test ourselves Sports Center. Facialrecognition technology system now has 4,570 users — about have free instructors that can guide system. against each other. To meet all these “We hope to become a shining speeds up the entry process to a quarter of Tianxing community’s people to keep fit in a more scientific “Often the focus is on professional demands, what we have now is far example of sports center operation venues, while devices automatically residents. way and avoid injuries. Each gym sports, but for us, the fitness of from enough. in Zhejiang, and even throughout check body temperature as part of “Each day we only charge each costs about 1 million yuan for the everyday people is equally impor “We first need to provide people China.”