Sports + Mashan Model: Mashan Bravely Scales the Peaks of Poverty Alleviation

       2019China-ASEAN Mountain Outdoor Sports Tourism Conference Launch Ceremony & China Climbing Natural Rock Wall Series Competition (Mashan Station, Guangxi)5Month26concluded in Mashan, Nanning, Guangxi — the distinctive sports town for climbing. The "Sports+Cultural Tourism+Poverty Alleviation+County Development" Mashan Model has set sail once again, growing increasingly mature and well-defined as it continues to put the vision of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" into action.

Opening Ceremony Site

       This competition was jointly organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, the Department of Sports of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It was hosted by the Nanning Municipal Sports Bureau, Nanning Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, the CPC Mashan County Committee, Mashan County People’s Government, and Beijing Guoao Zhongjian Sports Development Co., Ltd., with exclusive operation by China Climb Trading (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Competition Site

       This marked2019the first leg of the China Climbing Natural Rock Wall Series Competition. Led by international route setter Xie Weicheng, the route-setting team further upgraded both the difficulty and layout of the routes. The abundant rock wall resources allowed top climbers to fully experience the thrill of the challenge.Nearly 100 professional athletes and climbing enthusiasts from Poland, Hong Kong (China), Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shandong, Jiangxi, Henan, Hebei, Jilin, Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi delivered a breathtaking display of "rock wall ballet."These top domestic climbing athletes demonstrated exceptional strength. Agile and nimble on the rock faces of Mashan's Sanjia Tun, they moved like vines integrated with the natural cliffs. Their precise and impressive ascents drew waves of cheers and applause from the audience, offering a full taste of the allure of rock wall ballet..

Competition Site

       After two days of intense and exciting competition, Qu Changfeng andAleksandre Karolina Przybysz(Ola, Polish nationality)claimed the men’s and women’s adult division titles respectively with times of3’34”10and3’40”53, taking home2019the first championship of the new season.

Award Ceremony for Top Three in Men’s Adult Division

Award Ceremony for Top Three in Women’s Adult Division

       Wei Junfei and Qin Yumei from Mashan County’s Guling Town Junior High School won the men’s and women’s youth division titles with times of1’54”40and2’24”97respectively.AThe champions were crowned, with participants from the host school, Guling Town Junior Middle School in Mashan County, sweeping the top three spots in both the boys' and girls' youthAcategories. The individual titles in the boys' and girls' youthBcategories were claimed by Huang Hanjun and Zhou Siyu with times of2’43”97and2’52”32respectively.

Award ceremony for the top three in the Youth A Boys' category

Award ceremony for the top three in the Youth A Girls' category

 

Award ceremony for the top three in the Youth B Boys' category

Award ceremony for the top three in the Youth B Girls' category

       Wang Yongfeng, Deputy Director of the Climbing Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and Vice President of the Chinese Mountaineering Association,Zhang Ziying, County Chief of Mashan County, Nanning City, Luo Shen, Director of the Rock Climbing Preparation Office of the Chinese Mountaineering Association,Wei Jia, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Mashan County Committee and Chairman of the County CPPCC, Huang Zijiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Mashan County Committee, Head of the Publicity Department, and Deputy County Chief, and Zhang Youji, Vice Chairman of the County CPPCC, presented awards to the winning athletes.

        This event was not only a competition for elite climbers but also a grand gathering for outdoor sports enthusiasts. Over the two days of activities and competitions, tens of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts flocked to Mashan. They enjoyed breathtaking natural rock wall climbing competitions, witnessed uniquely colorful Zhuang ethnic performances, and experienced an outdoor sports extravaganza in Mashan’s characteristic rock climbing sports town. Activities such as combat archery, bubble soccer, orienteering on the cliffs, and back-basket shuttlecock offered diverse experiences. With the blend of ethnic culture and natural scenery, sports competition and outdoor tourism, the atmosphere at the venue was joyful and lively.

Mashan Huagu Performance

        What once hindered Mashan’s economic development has now become a favorite spot for outdoor climbing enthusiasts. The steep cliffs of Mashan have turned into prime venues for China’s National Rock Climbing Natural Wall Series and a hotspot for mountain outdoor activities. During the conference, investment promotion events were also held to attract businesses to invest in Mashan. By boosting industries to enrich the people, these efforts support poverty alleviation, county development, and rural revitalization. Mashan’s “sports + culture-tourism + poverty alleviation + county development” model is gaining renewed momentum. This model has become a powerful tool in Mashan’s fight against poverty.

        From establishing the “sports+” model in Mashan in 2016, to developing the Mashan Rock Climbing Characteristic Sports Town in 2017, and further deepening the town and “sports+” model, Mashan County has forged its own distinctive path in poverty alleviation. With the hosting of various sports events and the development of the rock climbing sports town, Mashan closely aligns with poverty alleviation and county development goals, leveraging the positive impact of industry-driven growth and development platforms. In 2017, the county saw an 18.5% increase in tourist arrivals and a 30.59% surge in total tourism revenue. The “sports+” model contributed to a 17% poverty reduction rate. In 2018, Mashan welcomed 5.02 million tourists, with total tourism consumption rising 52.7% year-on-year. The Nongla tourism circle centered around the rock climbing sports town accounted for about 80% of the county’s total visitors. All four impoverished villages along the event routes and surrounding the core area of the sports town—Yangshan, Anshan, Qiaolao, and Limin—achieved whole-village poverty eradication. The poverty incidence in Mashan dropped from 11.6% in 2017 to 5.91% this year.

        In Mashan, Sanjia Tun in Yangshan Village, Guling Town—a once impoverished mountain village—is undergoing a qualitative transformation. In August 2017, a 3.6-square-kilometer area centered on Sanjia Tun was approved as China’s first rock climbing characteristic sports town. It features a climbing sports zone, leisure sports zone, sports wellness zone, dynamic farming zone, a sports loop, and multiple mountain sports clusters, forming a “four zones, one loop, multiple points” layout. The town has developed 22 rock walls with 552 climbing routes, built 19 climbing schools, 6 hiking trails, 9 climbing platforms, 92 tourist homestays, as well as supporting facilities like camping lawns, public toilets, and auto camps. It now meets the facility requirements for climbing competitions, training, and experience activities. In 2018, it was awarded the titles of “Guangxi Sports Industry Demonstration Base” and “Guangxi Five-Star Mountain Outdoor Sports Camp.” Over the past two years, it has hosted numerous climbing and outdoor events, making Mashan Guling a “holy land” for Chinese outdoor sports, especially among climbing enthusiasts.

        Alongside the construction of the rock climbing sports town, Mashan’s tourism industry has seen a significant boom. The county has undergone a comprehensive transformation of its Zhuang ethnic style—villages are brighter, rivers clearer, fields more beautiful, and roads smoother. Attractions such as Jinlun Cave, Nongla, Lingyang Temple, Xiaodubai, and Sanjia rural tourism areas have become emerging destinations for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts.

        Mashan County actively integrates the “energy” of sports events, the “spirit” of cultural tourism, and the “serenity” of leisure agriculture. This has fostered a thriving environment where agriculture, culture, sports, and tourism prosper together, and the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries integrate. Mashan’s “sports + culture-tourism + poverty alleviation + county development” model has become a golden brand, attracting captivated visitors and propelling the county’s all-round development.

Photos provided by: Xinhua News Agency, the event organizing committee.

Special thanks: Li?/Lu Lihong/Wei Huibao/Huang Yu/Liu Honghai/Qin Boyi/Zhao Zhi’an