Climb Famous Mountains on Chongyang Festival, Thousands Gather in Guigang, Guangxi
2017The year marks the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution. To carry forward the red spirit, welcome the convening of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and promote China’stradition of respecting the elderly and caring for the young,as well as its outstanding traditional culture, the 2017 National Chongyang Hiking & Fitness Festival was held10on October 28,Chongyang Festival, simultaneously across more than20dozen provinces and cities nationwide, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants. Pingtianshan Mountain in Guigang, Guangxi, as the southern main venue for the Chongyang hiking activity and also the fourth stop of the 2017 China Fitness Mountains Race, saw an unprecedentedly lively atmosphere.
On the culturally significant Chongyang Festival, when “everyone climbs high,” the organizers—the Chinese Mountaineering Association, the Chinese National Scenic Areas Association, the People’s Government of Guigang City, and the Autonomous Region Sports Bureau; the hosts—the People’s Government of Gangbei District, Guigang City, the Guigang Tourism Development Commission, and the Guigang Committee on Aging; the co-organizers—the Publicity Department of the Gangbei District Committee of Guigang City, Guangxi Pingtianshan National Forest Park; the operators—Shizhi Sports and Liangang Lianbo Advertising Media Co., Ltd.; and special partners including China Sports Lottery, TUTU Outdoor, Dunba Column, and Motorola—all attended the opening ceremony of the event.
It is reported that “Nationwide Celebration of the 19th CPC National Congress, Hiking for Fitness and Prosperity” was the theme of the southern venue of the Chongyang Hiking Festival. On the morning of the day,over a thousand fitness enthusiasts from across the country gathered at Pingtianshan National Forest Park in Guigang to join the national hiking and fitness campaign. In addition to the competitive race segment,the event also featured a variety of fitness, entertainment, and cultural experiences, including “Appreciation of Zhuang Ethnic Songs and Dances,” “Tasting of Guigang Delicacies,” “Hiking Famous Mountains to Find Treasures,” and “China Sports Lottery Cultural Exhibition Panels,” allowing participants in both the fitness and family groups to learn about local customs and experience the region’s cultural charm while engaging in hiking and fitness activities.
In addition to on-site activities, the event organizing committee, together with the Gangbei District Government and Liangang Lianbo Advertising Media Co., Ltd., organized the “One Mountain One Primary School” and “Respect for the Elderly on Chongyang Festival” charity initiatives prior to the event. These initiatives not only donated a large amount of sports equipment to Guigang Sanling Primary School and provided outdoor knowledge education to students, but also delivered healthy food and warm greetings to many elderly residents in Sanling Village. On the occasion of Chongyang Festival and leveraging the opportunity of the Southern Venue of the 2017 National Chongyang Hiking & Fitness Festival and the China Fitness Mountains – Pingtianshan Hiking Race, this charitable activity aims to continuously call on more people and caring individuals to support vulnerable social groups and offer help within their capacity, through the expanding influence of the event.
It is understood that China Sports Lottery instant lottery tickets provided strong support for this hiking event. The activity, aligned with the public welfare concept of “Healthy China,” advocates the development of national fitness and effectively promotes healthier lifestyles among the public, spreading positive social energy.Over the past five years, the cause of promoting national fitness has continued to advance. At the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping pointed out that in the future, efforts should continue to widely carry out national fitness activities and accelerate the building of a strong sporting nation. On the other hand, President Xi also emphasized the need tostrengthen the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, enhance cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, present a true, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive image of China, and improve the country’s cultural soft power.
As one of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritages in China, the Chongyang Festival holds significant cultural value.The hosting of the National Chongyang Hiking & Fitness Festival and the China Fitness Mountains Hiking Race showcases the vigorous development of China’s sports and cultural sectors in recent years, andcreates a leisure and entertainment platform integrating “national fitness, traditional culture, and ecological conservation” for the numerous participating athletes. Through its ongoing influence, the event calls on the entire public to participate together in moving toward a healthier life, while also continuously promoting the sustainable development of multiple scenic destinations across the country, working together to realize the Healthy China Dream.
(Text: Dong Jiawen Photography: Wang Hongquan)