Over 6,000 people run for love at Henan sub-venue of China Tourism Day

5Month19Day, on the occasion of the9China Tourism Day, at the—2019 Henan sub-venue of China Tourism Day in Xin County, over6000athletes and fitness and sports enthusiasts from both domestic and international locations gathered at Xin County Square to witness the start of the“China Minzu Securities?2019China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology Xin County blind date&public welfare half marathon”as it kicked off.

7O’clock20sharp, led by the Xin CountyYouth Choir, everyone sang together“My Motherland and I”. As a massive9*6-meter-long national flag was slowly carried from the end of the square into the center of the venue, the crowd erupted into continuous cheers, with an overwhelming surge of patriotic fervor filling the air.

At8a.m., with the sound of the starting gun, the21.0975-kilometerhalf marathon group,-kilometer mini run, bridal run, parent-child group, international friends group, and5.20-kilometer“Dream-chasing Xin County”Red Groupstarted crossing the starting line in sequence. The runners set off fromXin County Square, ran straight along the flower-bedecked Huanghe Road toward Xiangshan Road, looped around Wangcheng Road and turned back, passed through the bustling Yelin Avenue, went by the cinema and library, and finally returned to Xin County Square. As they ran, the participants embraced the lush green mountains and clear waters, experienced the transformation of the old revolutionary base area over the pastyears, and had a soulful rendezvous with healthy Xin County.70Witness the changes of time over the years and make a soulful connection with the healthy new county.

Among the racers, the most eye-catching were5.2the 5-kilometer wedding dress run group,100where over 100 participants in short wedding dresses shed their usual shyness and dashed toward the finish line amid waves of cheers. As5April20approaches, completing a5.25-kilometer charity run has become one of the most memorable ways for couples and friends to express their bond.

Among the runners, we also spotted international faces —30athletes from4210 different countries, including Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe, came to Xin County to compete. It is understood that many of them have participated in races here before. The rapidly changing urban and rural landscapes, along with the unique charm of the "mountain-water red city," have earned high praise from foreign visitors.

The atmosphere at the race was electric,“and the cheer zones”were full of excitement. This year’s half marathon featured three new“music cheer zones,”two“intangible cultural performance cheer zones,”where acts such as guitar singalongs, rap,rapand folk melodies took the stage, cheering on the runners through various artistic performances.

Moreover, to ensure top-notch event services, Xin County upgraded its course support offerings. Starting at the55-kilometer mark, there was a water station every2.5kilometer and an energy supply station every55 kilometers, providing ample“fueling”supplies for the athletes. At the same time, the county mobilized over500volunteers,1000security personnel,100pace runners with medical training, equipped with20sets ofAEDportable medical devices,10ambulances,4misting stations, offering comprehensive services to runners and ensuring the safety of all participants.

During the event,“the Sailing Plan”book donation drives,tourism product exhibitions, folk performances, and matchmaking activities were held concurrently, allowing participants to experience“tourism,+sports,+and culture”—the new changes brought to the rural revitalization of Xin County.

As the host of the event, Xin County boasts unique ecological and cultural advantages in hosting major sporting events and promoting fitness for all.Here lies a city of red classics.As the only county in Henan and one of the most renowned in China for its generals, it has produced98founding generals and provincial or ministerial-level leaders such as Xu Shiyou, Li Desheng, and Zheng Weishan. It is home to365revolutionary sites, where the beauty of the soul and the strength of conviction can be felt everywhere.Here stretches a hundred-mile green gallery.With abundant rainfall in spring and summer, brisk winds in autumn and winter, crisscrossing rivers and streams, and overlapping peaks, Xin County enjoys a forest coverage rate of76.7%and a vegetation coverage rate of over95%. The area has2.2negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter of air, earning it the reputation of a““natural oxygen bar.””Here are ancient villages with a history of thousands of years.Here you can find ancient villages with a history of thousands of years.Scattered across the land are ancient dwellings and traditional villages, including12China’s landscape villages,10traditional Chinese ancient villages, and29Henan Province’s traditional villages. Towering ancient trees stand behind the houses, streams babble by the villages, roosters crow and dogs bark at dawn, and cooking smoke drifts at dusk—each corner evokes the nostalgia of hometown memories.

In recent years, Xin County has accelerated the deep integration of sports, culture, and tourism industries. It successfully established a Culture, Tourism, and Sports Bureau, launched the creation of a National All-for-One Tourism Demonstration Zone, and became one of the country’s12major red tourism destinations. It has been successively honored as China’s Best Forest Wellness Destination, China’s Sports Tourism Destination, and a National Demonstration County for Leisure Agriculture and Rural Tourism.……“The “Nine Towns and Eighteen Bays””rural tourism brand has gained national recognition, while the value of the Dabie Mountains Red Education Tourism brand continues to rise year after year.

Today’s Xin County sees explosive growth in tourism sectors such as homestay economy, camping economy, sports economy, and leisure sightseeing economy.A favorable trend has emerged, integrating characteristic industries, cultural tourism, sports and fitness, leisure wellness, and other diversified business formats.