A mountain climbing race took place at Wulao Mountain scenic area in Yongji county on April 23 as a part of the scenic area's annual mountain climbing festival which attracted an estimated 5,000 athletes, climbing enthusiasts, and visitors.
The mountain climbing festival, hosted by Chinese Mountaineering Association, the Sports Bureau of Shanxi province, and the Yuncheng government, which administers Yongji county, intends to promote sport and exercise amongst the general public. It also hopes to integrate a sporting event with tourism and leisure culture.
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Participants of the 17th Wulao Mountain Mountain-Climbing Festival race from the start line in Yongji county, Shanxi province, on April 23. [Photo/Shanxi Daily] |
In order to appeal to climbers of differing abilities, the organizers established both professional and amateur courses with 200 athletes in the former and 1,300 in the latter category. Participants were not simply from cities in Shanxi but also arrived from a range of provinces including Shaanxi and Henan.
The 7.2-km race took most athletes around an hour to complete with Du Shanxing and Gao Meng winning the men's and women's professional category with times of 43 min 6 sec and 50 min 13 sec respectively.
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Mountaineers climb Wulao Mountain, Yongji county, April 23. [Photo/china.com.cn] |
Unlike previous mountain climbing festivals, this year's event placed a greater emphasis on the exploring the culture of the Wulao Mountain scenic area. Accordingly, a series of culture-themed activities, including as concerts and traditional folk customs demonstrations have been held.
As a major tourist attraction in Yongji county, Wulao Mountain has played a vital role in helping to boost the county's tourism and improve its image and reputation.
Having begun in 2001, the mountain climbing festival of Wulao Mountain scenic area has been successfully held 16 separate times and has developed into a nationally noted sports and tourism event.
The mountain climbing festival in 2017 will last until May 31 with more than 10 themed activities taking place during the event.
