On the evening of September 8, 2017, at 19:30, the opening ceremony of the 2017 China Climbing Club League "Gansu Construction Investment First Construction Cup" Lanzhou · Anning Station was successfully held at the Gansu Grand Theatre. This also marks that starting from September 9, outstanding athletes selected through layers of competition from climbing clubs across the country will compete for the championship over two days at the newly built climbing competition venue in Renshou Mountain, Anning District, Lanzhou City.
Luo Shen, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Mountaineering Association and Director of the Olympic Preparation Office, Song Jupu, former Major General of the General Staff Department and Chief Advisor of Shizhi Sports, Ma Caiyun, Vice Mayor of the Lanzhou Municipal People's Government, Dan Hanrong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Lanzhou Municipal People's Government, Liu Sheng, Principal of the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports School and Executive Vice Chairman of the Gansu Provincial Mountaineering Sports Association, Wang Fang, Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee of Lanzhou, Hu Jihé, Chairman of Gansu First Construction Group Co., Ltd., and Liu Dake, Chairman of Shizhi Sports, attended the opening ceremony of the league. Zhang Jibin, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Anning District Committee and Executive Deputy District Head of the District Government, presided over the ceremony. As a brand event, the China Climbing Club League is a national Class A event aimed at "Olympic preparation." Its first edition in Gansu Province is a significant milestone in the development of cultural, sports, and tourism in Anning, greatly promoting the visibility of both Anning and Lanzhou. Wang Fang, Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee, on behalf of the Anning District Party Committee, District People's Congress, District Government, District Political Consultative Conference, and the event organizing committee, extended a warm welcome to the leaders, guests, athletes, and referees. She mentioned that climbing is an emerging trend sport that combines "adventure, challenge, entertainment, competition, and leisure," integrating "courage, beauty, and wisdom," and is often referred to as the "ballet on the cliffs." Following the August 2016 decision by the International Olympic Committee to include sport climbing as an official event in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the sport has garnered widespread attention from all sectors of society. The league’s first edition in the northwest region not only enhances the mass appeal of professional climbing competitions but also aims to establish a comprehensive service platform for the tens of thousands of young people and climbing enthusiasts in Anning, elevating the level of the sport. At the end of the opening ceremony, representatives of the athletes and referees took the oath, and Luo Shen, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Mountaineering Association and Director of the Olympic Preparation Office, announced the start of the competition.
Opening Ceremony Site
Zhang Jibin, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Anning District Committee and Executive Deputy District Head of the District Government, presided over the opening ceremony
Wang Fang, Secretary of the CPC Anning District Committee of Lanzhou, delivered a speech
Luo Shen, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Mountaineering Association and Director of the Olympic Preparation Office, announced the start of the competition
Passionately Climbing, Preparing for the Olympics
Themed "Passion · Ascend," this edition of the China Climbing Club League features two categories—Elite Group and Professional Group—for both male and female athletes. The competition rules follow the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) standards. On September 9, the events include the men’s and women’s difficulty preliminaries, the elite group men’s and women’s speed preliminaries and finals (on random routes), and the men’s and women’s difficulty finals. On September 10, the men’s and women’s bouldering preliminaries (open format), the professional group men’s and women’s speed preliminaries and finals (on standard routes), and the award ceremony for the "Gansu Construction Investment First Construction Cup" Lanzhou · Anning Station of the China Climbing Club League will be held after the men’s and women’s bouldering finals.
Zhang Yuetong in the Difficulty Competition
Difficulty Competition Prelims and Finals
In addition to the climbing competitions, the event will also feature exciting band performances, climbing baby shows, the "Enjoy Climbing Carnival" themed activities, climbing salons, climbing knowledge lectures, and on-site lucky draws. These elements enhance the event’s appeal and public engagement while maintaining its professional standards.
Climbing Baby Performance Show
Band Performances
Northwest’s Largest Comprehensive Climbing Venue
This league marks the first time China’s highest-level climbing club competition is held in Lanzhou, Gansu, attracting widespread attention. Along with the event, a new climbing wall has been installed in Lanzhou. Located in Renshou Mountain Scenic Area in Anning District, this is the first artificial climbing wall in China built to the latest international competition standards following the updated IFSC regulations. The wall includes separate sections for speed climbing, difficulty climbing, and bouldering, meeting the full range of international competition requirements. The speed climbing wall is 17 meters high and 12 meters wide, featuring four lanes that accommodate both random and standard routes. The difficulty climbing wall is 17 meters high and 16 meters wide, capable of hosting four simultaneous competitions. The bouldering wall is 6 meters high and 30 meters wide, designed for ten simultaneous routes.
Difficulty and Speed Climbing Walls
Additionally, the climbing panels are made using advanced nano-technology and resin honeycomb materials, making this the thickest climbing wall in China, with all specifications exceeding current national standards. It features the nation’s first remotely controllable LED holds, allowing nighttime climbing and significantly improving the viewing experience for spectators. Rubber running tracks have also been laid in the athlete warm-up zone for the first time, providing optimal conditions for pre-competition preparation.
"Sports + Tourism" Helps Lanzhou Anning Develop a New Tourism Model
Lanzhou Anning District recently hosted the China Hot Air Balloon Club League at the end of July and now welcomes the China Climbing Club League. These events will significantly boost the development of a modern "sports + tourism + culture" tourism industry in Anning. With these two national-level events, Anning District plans to establish hot air balloon and climbing camps in the future, developing a range of "sports + tourism" products such as hot air balloon flights, low-altitude tourism, outdoor sports, and competitive climbing. These initiatives will drive regional industrial growth, inject strong momentum into the city’s economy, ignite public enthusiasm for sports, and represent a major step in the integrated development of Anning’s "sports + tourism" industry.
The event venue, Renshou Mountain Scenic Area, is located in a peach orchard north of Liujia Fort in Anning District, 15 kilometers from the city center.Leveraging the ecological resources of Renshou Mountain, the Anning District Party Committee and District Government have developed the Renshou Mountain Ecological and Cultural Tourism Zone. The area features premium ecological gardens, agritainment spots, a Ming-Qing retro street, complemented by a thousand-mu jujube orchard, a thousand-mu "utopian peach garden," and the Danxia landform attraction known as "Tianfu Shagong"—forming a national key ecological tourism destination.
This event is organized by the China Mountaineering Association, the Lanzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Lanzhou Municipal Bureau of Sports, and the People’s Government of Anning District, Lanzhou. It is hosted by the Anning District Bureau of Culture and Sports and the Lanzhou Anning Urban Construction Investment Co., Ltd., with exclusive operation by Shizhi Sports.