On the morning of June 29, the 2013 China · Zhangye Outdoor Sports Festival — Linze Dasaha Mini Fun Marathon commenced at the Dasaha Scenic Area in Linze County, with approximately 300 participants from 34 teams across the province taking part.
At 9:30 AM, as the starting gun fired, the Dasaha Mini Fun Marathon commenced with great enthusiasm. As one of the events of the Zhangye Outdoor Sports Festival, this competition featured a team-based obstacle race, divided into three categories: professional, employee, and public groups. The racecourse spanned 7 kilometers along the walking trails of the Dasaha Scenic Area, featuring a variety of fun obstacles such as inflatable net crawls, hurdles, large water pools, single-plank bridges, and tire mazes, as well as team activities including leg-binding races and cooperative walking. The professional group consisted of four teams from outdoor clubs across the province and five student teams from the Linze County education system. The employee group included ten teams selected from various sectors within the county, such as public security, health, housing and urban-rural development, agriculture, finance, water conservancy, transportation, and education. The public group attracted enthusiastic participation from local community residents in Linze County.
The Dasaha River is the largest tributary of the Heihe River and was historically known as the Liusha River. The story of Tang Sanzang accepting Sha Wujing as his disciple in Journey to the West originates from here. Thanks to the convergence and nourishment of the Heihe and Dasaha Rivers, the unique oasis of Linze was formed. The industrious and wise people of Linze adhere to the development philosophy of “ecology-based governance, industry-driven prosperity, commerce-fueled vitality, and science and education-propelled advancement,” as well as the guiding principle of “holding high the banner of ecology, focusing on water management, pursuing a distinctive path, and promoting the scientific development of Linze.” Concentrating their efforts on development and fully committing to implementation, they have earned a series of shining honors, including titles such as “National Civilized County,” “National Garden City,” “National Advanced County in Sports,” “National Advanced County in Safe Construction,” “National Advanced County in Scientific and Technological Progress,” “National Advanced County in Culture,” and “National Advanced County in Grain Production.”
Along the racecourse, exquisitely designed and culturally rich landscapes allowed participants to fully enjoy the fun of the competition while experiencing the elegant charm of the “Gobi Water Town.” As the organizer of this event, Linze County aims to create an important node and tourist destination along the Golden Silk Road tourism route through the deep integration of sports, culture, and tourism. Since 2009, Linze County has led urban construction with ecological civilization, comprehensively launching the comprehensive management project of the Dasaha River Basin. By managing water resources, conserving water, and revitalizing water systems, the county has improved the ecological environment, transformed its development model, and fostered a distinctive water-based industrial belt. These efforts have built a safety barrier for Linze’s development, expanded the space for urban growth, created a platform for industrial development, and injected new vitality into the county’s economic growth. While accelerating economic development, Linze County, grounded in its “livable and tourist-friendly” strategic focus, has leveraged its natural and cultural attractions — such as the Danxia scenic area, Dasaha scenic area, Heihe Wetlands, Liyuan Kou Battle Memorial, and Shuangquan Lake National Water Conservancy Scenic Area — as well as its profound historical and cultural heritage. It has carefully promoted tourism brands such as “China’s Jujube Hometown, Colorful Danxia, Gobi Water Town, and Red Holy Land,” and has hosted a series of events including the CCTV “Passion Square: Patriotic Songs Sung by Everyone” Gansu Linze special performance, the National Women’s Basketball Top Four Invitational Tournament, and the Provincial Mountain Bike Cross-Country Race.