The China-Russia Tourism Year 2012 Hegang Luobei National Hiking and Camping Festival grandly opened on July 7th in Luobei, Hegang, Heilongjiang Province. Nearly 500 outdoor enthusiasts from both China and Russia will attend this hiking and camping festival. This event, approved by the General Administration of Sport of China, is a large-scale public outdoor activity jointly hosted by the Mountaineering Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Heilongjiang Provincial Sports Bureau, and the Hegang Municipal People's Government.
The activities include camping, hiking along the Heilongjiang border river, slacklining, and various other outdoor events. There will also be distinctive local activities such as a music and bonfire evening party, orienteering treasure hunts in Golden Ancient Town, and gold panning. Following the principles of “health, leisure, green, and environmental protection,” the event aims to offer a rich variety of activities that fully showcase Luobei’s tourism resources. With an emphasis on leisure rather than difficulty, the activities are not overly challenging but are packed with excitement.
The border river hike begins at Golden Ancient Town Square. Chinese and Russian participants will hike along the Taipinggou border river, immersing themselves in nature and measuring their country’s borders on foot while enjoying the beautiful natural scenery along the Heilongjiang River. During the camping festival, nearly 500 Chinese and Russian camping and outdoor enthusiasts set up tents along the banks of the Taipinggou border river, creating a magnificent camping scene that complements the surrounding stunning natural landscape. This perfect blend of natural scenery and outdoor activity offers participants a brand-new outdoor experience and leaves a deep impression.
Hiking and camping are healthy lifestyles where people return to nature and enjoy active leisure. They are also among today’s most fashionable forms of travel culture and physical fitness activities. Camping tourism is an emerging form of eco-tourism, which enjoys a broad base of enthusiasts in developed tourism countries, giving rise to a unique camping culture. Through this medium, people can get close to nature, enjoy the pleasures of camping, and engage in travel, exercise, entertainment, and leisure.
The Taipinggou Border River Hike and Golden Ancient Town Camping National Hiking and Camping Festival is another key move in Luobei County Government’s strategy of “using large-scale outdoor activities to boost group outdoor participation and promote distinctive tourism.” The year 2012 marks the first China-Russia Tourism Year, making the timely holding of this hiking and camping event highly significant.
In ancient China, there was a saying about the hiking and camping lifestyle: “sailing and riding across the world, walking the mountains and rivers.” With the rapid development of China’s economy and the improvement of people’s living standards, hiking and camping, guided by the philosophy of “immersing in nature, enjoying camping, engaging in active leisure, and promoting fitness through travel,” have gained recognition and favor from more and more people at home and abroad due to their advantages such as low investment and quick returns. Many regions in China, including Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Zhejiang, and Guangdong, have invested in building camping sites and hosting national hiking and camping festivals.
Hegang is located in China’s border region, boasting well-preserved pristine ecological environments and serving as a top tourist destination for those seeking to reconnect with nature. It features the majestic Small Three Gorges of the Heilongjiang River, as well as the White Dragon Gorge, White Dragon Pool, and underground forests in the valley. There is also the Xiaoxing’anling Primitive Forest Park, the Weichang Red-crowned Crane Wetland Nature Reserve, the Heilongjiang sturgeon — a species as renowned as the Chinese sturgeon — and the timeless natural mysteries of the four seasons. There are also ancient biological mysteries such as dinosaurs and mammoths. Luobei County, situated at the junction of the southern foothills of the Xiaoxing’an Mountains and the Sanjiang Plain, boasts unique cultural and natural landscapes. Well-known scenic spots and attractions such as the Longjiang Three Gorges, the National Forest Park, Mingshan Island Comprehensive Tourist Area, Wangyunfeng Ski Resort, Damah River Rafting Station, and Taipinggou Underground Forest are famous both domestically and internationally.
