On May 20, the opening stop of the 2018 season of China’s Fitness Mountains took place at the Wudang Mountain Scenic Area in Shiyan, Hubei. Nearly two thousand hiking and fitness enthusiasts from across the country, along with travel lovers from over ten countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Mongolia, and Switzerland, gathered to celebrate this grand sports tourism event for all. Olympic champion Wang Xin (10m platform, 2008 Beijing Olympics), Zhu Jianming (10m platform, 2012 National Diving Championships and Olympic Trials), and Wu Di (men’s floor exercise, 2013 National 12th National Games), among others, attended the event and led the run for a thousand athletes. The atmosphere on-site was unprecedentedly enthusiastic.
That morning, leaders and guests from the event’s organizing bodies — the Chinese Mountaineering Association, the Chinese Scenic Areas Association, and the Wudang Mountain Scenic Area Administration — as well as the executive organizers: the Wudang Mountain Special Zone Scenic Area Administration, Wudang Mountain Special Zone Tourism Bureau, and Wudang Mountain Special Zone Culture, Sports, News and Broadcasting Bureau, and supporting organizations: the Wudang Mountain Taoist Association, Wudang Mountain Taihe Cableway Co., Ltd., and Hubei Wudang Mountain Tourism Co., Ltd., and the exclusive operator Shizhi Sports, attended the opening ceremony, along with representatives from event partners such as Tianan Life Insurance, Jiuduo Roses, and Papaya Forest.
It is reported that this was the 33rd national event held since the launch of the China Famous Mountains Race. At the opening ceremony, the Wudang Mountain Special Zone received the honorary bronze plaque of “China’s Fitness Mountain” awarded by the Chinese Scenic Areas Association, making Wudang Mountain the first in Hubei to earn this title. As the opening stop of the 2018 season, the event garnered widespread attention and enthusiastic registration from hiking and outdoor sports enthusiasts as soon as the information was released. The race ignited a fervent atmosphere for national fitness and also brought an annual sports celebration to Wudang Mountain.
Vows of eternal love are a timeless tradition to demonstrate fidelity in relationships, and expressing them through mountain climbing adds a special touch. This year’s race fell on May 20, widely recognized as Internet Valentine’s Day. On this special day, a hundred couples and couples climbed 5,215 steps along a 6.25 km route to reach the summit of Wudang Mountain. There, facing the majestic peaks, they made vows to each other, experiencing a unique 520 moment unlike any other year. A special “Best Couple Award” was introduced at this leg of the China Famous Mountains Race, with prizes presented to the winners, sending good wishes their way.
According to Wang Jiabin, Secretary-General of the China Famous Mountains Race Organizing Committee, the event featured three categories: speed racing, family, and fitness. The speed racing category attracted many well-known runners in the field. After fierce competition, Gao Yongning from Gansu and Xiang Fuzhao from Guizhou won the men’s and women’s speed racing championships, respectively. The course started at the Purple Cloud Palace, passing through cultural landmarks such as South Rock, walking trails, Seven Star Tree, Chaotian Palace, First Heaven Gate, Second Heaven Gate, Third Heaven Gate, and Pilgrimage Gate, allowing all participants to experience Wudang Mountain’s unique cultural heritage and natural scenery while engaging in fitness activities, delivering an exceptional “sports + tourism” experience.
In addition to the competitive races, the event site also offered a variety of fitness and recreational activities and cultural experiences for participants in the fitness and family categories, including Wudang martial arts performances and fun activities like “Climb the Famous Mountain, Find the Treasure,” showcasing the unique cultural charm of Wudang Mountain in a comprehensive and multi-dimensional way.
Moreover, the race specially invited Hubei-born Olympic champion Wang Xin, National Games champions Wu Di and Zhu Jianming to lead the run on-site. As natives of Hubei, these athletes inspired a thousand participants through their presence, using their star power to advocate for national fitness and leading by example to promote a positive and healthy lifestyle. The 2018 China Fitness Mountains Race, themed “Upward · China,” aligned with the public welfare concept of “Healthy China,” advocating for the development of national fitness, effectively advancing healthier living for the public, and spreading positive social energy.
The host destination of this event, Wudang Mountain, is a national scenic area and a AAAAA-level tourist attraction, renowned as the “Peerless Wonder since Ancient Times, the Number One Immortal Mountain under Heaven.” Listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, Wudang Mountain boasts both cultural and natural resources, making it highly suitable for hosting mountain races. In recent years, aiming to become an “International Tourism Destination, Eastern Wellness Capital, and National Cultural Hub,” Wudang Mountain has focused on the development of the “Five Zones” and tourism transformation and upgrading, continuously promoting integrated industries such as “tourism + sports,” enriching brand content and experiences, and striving to build the new Wudang 369 All-for-One Tourism brand. As one of China’s most prominent themed mountaineering race series, the China Fitness Mountains Race collaborates with Wudang Mountain to invigorate the scenic area and boost the vigorous development of all-for-one tourism.
(Text: Dong Jiawen | Photography: Wang Jiabin, Wang Hongquan)