Xinhua News Agency, Shandong Channel, June 11 (By Song Hongfei and Li Weijiang) On the morning of June 9, the 2012 National Mass Mountain Climbing and Fitness Conference was held at Mount Wulian in Rizhao City, Shandong Province. The event attracted over 3,000 mountain climbing enthusiasts from across the country and more than 100 cycling enthusiasts.
The 2012 National Mass Mountain Climbing and Fitness Conference and the 2nd “Wuzheng Cup” Mount Wulian Station event marked another step by Rizhao City to advance the “Year of Cultural Development,” promoting deeper integration of culture, sports, and tourism. With the theme “Exercise for Health, Travel for Joy,” the event made full use of Mount Wulian’s natural setting — “mountains by the sea, an ink-painting landscape” — using sports activities to boost national fitness initiatives.
The event featured two routes: one for mass mountain climbing and another for cycling. The mountain climbing route covered approximately 8 kilometers, while the cycling route spanned about 6 kilometers. Climbers who completed the course within the allotted time received commemorative medals awarded by the Chinese Mountaineering Association. Prior to the start, performances included waist-drum routines by middle-aged and elderly participants, kung fu fan displays, folk performances, and student drumming shows.
Mount Wulian Scenic Area is a national 4A-level tourist attraction, a national forest park, and a China Ecotourism Experimental Demonstration Base. From May 8 to 10, 2011, it successfully hosted the “Wuzheng Cup” 2011 First National Mountain Climbing Competition and the National Mass Mountain Climbing and Fitness Conference (Mount Wulian Station), earning recognition from the Chinese Mountaineering Association as Shandong Province’s first “Mountain Outdoor Sports Training Base.”
In recent years, Wulian County in Rizhao City has organized a series of cultural, sports, and tourism events, including the National Mountain Bike Championship, the National Youth Mountain Bike Championship, the First National Mountain Climbing Competition and National Mass Mountain Climbing and Fitness Conference, the Daqing Mountain Tai Chi International Exchange Competition, and the “Spring in Wulian” Azalea Festival. These efforts have successfully established the tourism brand image of “mountains by the sea, an ink-painting Wulian,” attracting numerous tourists to the area for leisure, vacation, and investment. Taking the opportunity of this fitness conference, Wulian County will accelerate the integration of sports, culture, and tourism, striving to establish a national-level outdoor activity base, promote the healthy and rapid development of national fitness initiatives, enhance the visibility and reputation of Wulian’s fitness and leisure offerings, and accelerate progress toward the goals of becoming a “provincial-level tourist resort and a top tourism county in China.” (End)