The First National Forest Extreme Sports Forum Opens to "Pave the Way" for Revitalizing Rural Areas through Sports

Recently, the Second Promotion Meeting for the Construction of Zhejiang’s Sports and Leisure Towns, themed around revitalizing rural areas through sports, and the First National Forest Extreme Sports Forum at Lingjiu Mountain opened in Kecheng District, Quzhou City. Distinguished guests attending the forum and sharing forward-looking industry insights included Li Zhengmei, former director of the Aviation Sports Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, current vice chairman of the Chinese Aeronautical Sports Federation, and vice chairman of the Chinese Orienteering Association; Han Jiling, secretary-general of the Chinese Extreme Sports Association; Wu Hong, head of the Zhejiang Provincial Forestry Bureau and chairman of the Zhejiang Society of Forestry; Li Hua, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Bureau; Lü Yuelong, vice mayor of Quzhou City; Jiang Jiancheng, head of the Sports Economics Division of the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Bureau; Xu Lishui, secretary of the Kecheng District Committee; Fang Qingjian, deputy secretary and district head of the Kecheng District Committee; Yao Limin, member of the Standing Committee and deputy district head of the Kecheng District Committee; Liu Min, member of the Standing Committee and deputy district head of the Kecheng District Committee; Bao Mingxiao, director of the Academic Committee of the Sports Industry Development Research Center at Tsinghua University; He Wenyi, deputy director of the National Sports Industry Research Base at Peking University; Zhang Lin, professor and doctoral supervisor, head of the Sports Management Department at Shanghai University of Sport; Tan Jianxiang, deputy director of the Key Research Base of Sports Social Science of the General Administration of Sport of China; Jiang Yinhou, chairman of Beijing Heyi Sports; Song Jianhua, deputy director of the Beijing Tourism Group Professional Committee; and Liu Xiang, chief brand officer of Peak Sports Industry Group.

In his welcome speech, Xu Lishui, secretary of the Kecheng District Committee, said, “With the original aspiration and mission of ‘revitalizing rural areas through sports and empowering cities with sports,’ we are seizing the historical opportunities of the consumption upgrade era and the high-speed rail era. We are actively practicing the theory of transforming ‘Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets’ as well as the strategies for rural revitalization and Healthy China. Centered around the construction of Lingjiu Mountain · National Forest Sports Town, we are striving to create the country’s first rural national sports park, and to build an innovative and exemplary zone for the integrated development of rural revitalization, culture, tourism, and sports. We aim to accelerate the growth of the beautiful economy and happiness industries.”

Lü Yuelong, vice mayor of Quzhou City, stated: “The cultivation and integrated development of the forest extreme sports industry is not only an academic gathering akin to a ‘Lingjiu Mountain martial arts conference,’ but also a thought-provoking feast that opens a new chapter for the development of Quzhou’s sports industry. We will fully support the vigorous growth of this sport in Quzhou, pushing the development of the city’s forest extreme sports industry into a new phase, and continuously infusing new meaning and vitality into the construction of Quzhou’s Grand Garden.”

Li Hua, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Bureau, said during the forum: “Forest extreme sports is a new concept prominently featured at this forum. It is a bold attempt to integrate sports with rural elements, an active exploration and practice in activating rural resources and strengthening rural industries through sports, and an important engine for rural economic transformation, a vital source of rural vitality, and a key medium for rural civilization governance.”

The Mascot of Lingjiu Mountain · National Forest Sports Town Makes Its Debut – “Ju Xiaomang” and the Qingtuan Family Represent the Town

The design of Ju Xiaomang is inspired by a combination of the “Spring God Ju Mang” and the “Lingjiu” (a sacred bird). In November 2016, the “24 Solar Terms,” represented by the Jiuhua Lichun Ceremony in Kecheng District, Quzhou, were officially inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, becoming a global calling card for Kecheng District. Ju Xiaomang incorporates the visual characteristics of the “bird of prey” to enhance the brand recognition of Lingjiu Mountain. While promoting the spirit of sports, Lingjiu Mountain · National Forest Sports Town also aims to help more young people understand and carry forward history.

The god of spring, the spirit of the forest. Embodying the natural traits of being natural, lively, optimistic, and kind.

Showcasing the joyful, fun, and positive sports spirit brought by Lingjiu Mountain · National Forest Sports Town.

The Qingtuan Family evolved from the spring planting in the hands of the Spring God Ju Mang, representing teamwork, collaboration, and mutual assistance in forest extreme sports.

Forest Extreme Sports Settles in Kecheng, Standards for the Sport Unveiled

As one of the first batch of sports characteristic towns designated by the General Administration of Sport of China — and the only one focused on forest sports — Lingjiu Mountain · National Forest Sports Town has made significant progress over the past two years. The creation of distinctive events such as the First Zhejiang Forest Sports Games and the Auto Jungle Crossing Competition, along with the implementation of major sports projects like China Motorsport City and Quzhou Ordovician Park, have laid the foundation and mapped out a blueprint for the future development of the forest sports town.

Forest extreme sports is a new concept that will be highlighted at this forum. It is a bold attempt to integrate sports with rural elements, an active exploration and practice in activating rural resources and strengthening rural industries through sports, and an important engine for rural economic transformation, a vital source of rural vitality, and a key medium for rural civilization governance.

During the forum, the Forest Extreme Sports Committee was established and its inauguration ceremony was held on-site. The draft of the “Forest Extreme Sports Standards” was also released. According to the standards, forest extreme sports specifically refer to a group of collective activities with features of extreme sports conducted in forest settings, and corresponding competitions involve those based on five or more forest sports events. In essence, it is a highly innovative frontier sports industry that combines people’s ideal of returning to simplicity and nature with cutting-edge, thrilling extreme sports, making it a form of “future sports” tailored for personalized consumption. Han Jiling, secretary-general of the Chinese Extreme Sports Association, pointed out, “Kecheng District boasts diverse landforms, interconnected landscapes, and a forest coverage rate of 90.4%, providing unique advantages for developing forest extreme sports. With strong support from governments at all levels and bold initiatives by local authorities, this sport is set to thrive in Kecheng.” She also announced that the Forest Extreme Sports Games will be held at Lingjiu Mountain · National Forest Sports Town within the year.