From August 10 to 11, on the southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, the vast Bayinbuluke Grassland shook off its usual tranquility as the 2013 China International Camping Congress (Xinjiang Stop) took place here. On the early autumn meadows, more than 3,500 outdoor sports enthusiasts from seven provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China gathered to enjoy the autumn scenery, experience the thrill of sports, feel the charm of competition, and cherish the value of friendship.
Huang Jinmei, an outdoor sports enthusiast from Guangxi who traveled to Xinjiang by train, is a Zhuang ethnic girl. Having grown up in the picturesque landscapes of southern China, she had long dreamed of visiting Xinjiang to witness its magnificent desert and grassland vistas. At this year's China International Camping Congress (Xinjiang Stop), she participated in events such as darts and archery and felt thoroughly refreshed. She told reporters, “Being able to attend the camping congress in multicultural Xinjiang, sharing the beautiful scenery and the joy of sports with people of all ethnicities, has been truly rewarding. When I go back, I will introduce the stunning beauty of Xinjiang to more friends and family, and encourage them to join next year’s China International Camping Congress in Xinjiang.”
As a project supported by the General Administration of Sport of China for Xinjiang’s development, the 2013 China International Camping Congress (Xinjiang Stop) is one of the national large-scale outdoor sports events approved by the General Administration of Sport of China and the People's Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is also one of the major series of outdoor activities prioritized by the Mountaineering Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and the Chinese Mountaineering Association. The 2013 China International Camping Congress (Xinjiang Stop) was jointly organized by the Mountaineering Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and the Sports Bureau of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The 2013 China International Camping Congress (Xinjiang Stop) is one of the largest camping competitions held domestically this year. It features two main categories—sports competitions and leisure activities—with a total of 12 sub-events. The sports competitions include mountain cross-country races, grassland orienteering, and horse-and-carriage racing, while leisure activities comprise tent-pitching, slacklining, darts, beer drinking, and herders’ sports (including horse lassoing, archery, yak riding, traditional Mongolian wrestling, and barrel racing on horseback).
Wang Yongfeng, Deputy Director of the Mountaineering Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, came to the site and said excitedly, “Xinjiang is a paradise for outdoor sports. The natural environment of the Bayinbuluke Grassland is beautiful and perfectly suited for hosting a camping congress. This is the third consecutive year the China International Camping Congress has been held in Xinjiang, with the previous two editions successfully taking place in 2011 at the Tianshan Grand Canyon in Urumqi and in 2012 at the Lop Nur Folk Village in Yuli County. Xinjiang’s rich and diverse landforms attract a large number of domestic and international outdoor, mountaineering, and adventure enthusiasts. I believe that in the near future, Xinjiang will become one of the best places in China for outdoor sports.”
The 2013 China International Camping Congress (Xinjiang Stop) is less a grand competitive sports event and more like an unprecedented outdoor sports “blockbuster” unfolding with passion in the wild. In the brightly lit campsites, colorful tents bloom like flowers across the grassland. The boldness of young women downing beers in one gulp, the gallantry of herders lassoing horses on galloping steeds, the extraordinary strength of Mongolian wrestlers displaying Herculean power—all these moments shimmering with the brilliance of humanity are frozen in the early autumn air and engraved into the beautiful landscape of the vast grassland.
Bada, a 46-year-old Mongolian outdoor sports enthusiast from Urumqi, participated in the mountain cross-country race at this year’s China International Camping Congress (Xinjiang Stop). He said that combining sports with the beauty of nature brings both physical and mental joy. Having loved outdoor sports since childhood, he has found fulfillment through them. With the China International Camping Congress choosing Xinjiang as a stop for several consecutive years, he, as a native of Xinjiang, feels proud.