On the morning of May 26, the press conference for the "2018 Resource International Rafting Elite Challenge and Sports Culture Week" was held at the General Administration of Sport of China. Leaders from the Water Sports Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Sports Bureau of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the People's Government of Guilin City, and the People's Government of Ziyuan County attended the event.
The "2018 Resource International Rafting Elite Challenge and Sports Culture Week" is scheduled to be held from June 26 to July 1, 2018, in Ziyuan County, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Building on the successful hosting of the 2017 Resource Rafting World Cup last year, this year’s event has been expanded and upgraded, extending into the development of the sports industry. It combines sports with culture to create an international rafting brand event that integrates elements of sports, culture, environmental protection, health, and tourism.
According to reports, the international rafting elite challenge to be held in Ziyuan is jointly organized by the International Rafting Federation, the Water Sports Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Sports Bureau of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the People's Government of Guilin City, and hosted by the Sports Bureau of Guilin City and the People's Government of Ziyuan County. This is an international event of the International Rafting Federation, mainly comprising a long-distance race and a short-distance sprint race. A total of 20 teams from 16 countries, including China, will compete in the international Grade A rafting course of the Wupai River in Ziyuan.
The Wupai River in Ziyuan, where the race is held, is known for its "treacherous waters, peculiar rocks, secluded forests, and beautiful waterfalls." The approximately 30-kilometer rafting section features narrow riverbeds, large drops, and rapid currents, meeting the training and competition requirements for all six levels of international whitewater slalom events. Rafting here feels like soaring through clouds and riding waves, offering an exhilarating and thrilling experience. It is currently one of the most ideal domestic rafting training bases that fully meets the standards for world-class competitions. During the 2017 Resource Rafting World Cup, it was awarded the title of "World’s Most Beautiful Rafting Base" by the International Rafting Federation. This also echoes the event’s slogan at the time: "Resource, Shining with the World."
In addition to the International Rafting Elite Challenge, the "China Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) Golden League," currently the most fashionable SUP sport in leisure athletics, will also make its debut in Ziyuan. The event includes a 2-kilometer sprint race and an obstacle course race. The race venue is the picturesque "Lantern Valley" section of the Zijiang River, famous both in China and abroad for successfully hosting the intangible cultural heritage event—the "River Lantern Song Festival—for 25 consecutive years. Hundreds of SUP enthusiasts from China and abroad will paddle together on the beautiful Zijiang River, joining in another grand gathering of the SUP community amidst stunning landscapes.
Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. In recent years, Ziyuan County has leveraged its ecological advantages to develop tourism and specialty industries tailored to local conditions, continuously strengthening and optimizing them to create flagship tourism products and well-known brands. These efforts have united the people of the county in the fight against poverty. The hosting of the 2017 Resource Rafting World Cup further enhanced the county’s visibility and reputation, promoted the vigorous development and prosperity of the tourism industry, accelerated the pace of poverty alleviation, and laid a solid foundation for the county to shake off poverty. According to statistics, last year over 10,000 people in the county were employed in tourism or tourism-related work, and more than 1,000 impoverished households were lifted out of poverty as a result. How can we both protect these ecological benefits and maximize the value of resource advantages? Another highlight of this rafting-themed international event is the "2018 Resource International Rafting City Development Forum." For the first time, the Water Sports Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China has partnered with international organizations to gather city representatives from both China and abroad, along with experts and scholars in rafting, aquatic ecology, and tourism, at the Danxia wonderland to jointly explore the path of rafting industry development and discuss the "Two Mountains" eco-beautiful economy.
Ziyuan, sharing beauty with the world. As a destination with multiple national-level titles such as a National Rafting Training Base, a National Whitewater Slalom Sports Base, and a China Sports Tourism Premium Eco-City, Ziyuan has enhanced its awareness of exchange, reception, and service by hosting world-class, high-quality events. Leveraging rafting culture as an innovative foundation, it has further elevated the brand value of its ecological and tourism resources. The successful hosting of world-class events for two consecutive years fully demonstrates that ecologically friendly development cities represented by Guilin’s Ziyuan are gaining recognition from the international rafting industry. This has established China’s important position in the global rafting sports arena, deepened exchanges between China and the international community, and propelled China’s rafting industry toward faster, higher, and better development.