On the afternoon of May 15, the press conference for the 2013 China · Zhangye Outdoor Sports Festival, jointly organized by the Gansu Provincial Sports Bureau and the People’s Government of Zhangye City, and co-organized by the Gansu Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports Association, the People’s Government of Linze County, and the Gansu Outdoor Exploration Alliance, was held at Lanzhou Hotel. Attending the press conference and delivering speeches were Ma Saimin, Director of the Gansu Provincial Sports Bureau, Wang Aiqin, Director of the Zhangye Municipal Sports Bureau, and other relevant leaders.
The 2013 China · Zhangye Outdoor Sports Festival will be held from June 11 to August 8 in Gaotai, Linze, Shandan, Minle, Sunan, and Zhangye National Wetland Park. It will fully showcase the distinctive features of “colorful and multifaceted advantages” of the livable and tourist-friendly Golden Zhangye, and lead a new way of healthy living for the public.
Zhangye is located at the “golden crossroads” where the diverse natural ecological landscapes meet the splendid and mystical Silk Road civilization. Within its territory, three major ecosystems—the Qilian Mountain water conservation area, the Heihe Wetland, and the desert and Gobi—interconnect seamlessly. Glaciers and snow-capped mountains, forests and grasslands, deserts and sand dunes, colorful Danxia landforms, fertile oases, and wetland reeds all converge in one region. It is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World—the Great Wall ruins, one of the World’s Top Ten Magical Landscapes—Danxia, the world’s largest Shandan Military Horse Farm, Asia’s largest indoor clay reclining Buddha, and one of China’s Six Most Beautiful Grasslands—Sunan Kang Le Grassland, all unparalleled in China. With its favorable geographical conditions and location advantages, unique outdoor sports resources, magnificent natural landscapes, profound cultural heritage, complemented by rich ethnic characteristics, Zhangye has become a prime destination for outdoor sports competitions.
It is understood that the nearly two-month-long series of events in this outdoor sports festival include the Heihe Wetland Kayak Obstacle Race in Gaotai County, the Mini Fun Marathon on the Dasaha River in Linze County, the Yanzi Mountain Hiking Competition in Shandan County, the Minle Andingkou Mountain Off-Road Vehicle Rally and Outdoor Film Carnival (Camping Gathering), the Sunan Yugur Cultural Corridor Mountain Bike Rally, and the 10,000-Person Hiking Trek through Zhangye National Wetland Park.
Currently, preparations for the various events of the outdoor sports festival are being carried out in an intense and orderly manner. According to the organizers, during the event period, a new image of Zhangye as a civilized, harmonious, open, and developing city will be presented to the world in a brand-new light.