The Qiyun Mountain Xiake Ancient Road hiking race – a part of the 2023 Clear Waters and Green Mountains Games in the Yangtze River Delta region – took place on Oct 15 in Xiuning county in Huangshan city, located in East China's Anhui province.
The event attracted thousands of athletes from across the country, with the goal of deepening sports cooperation in the Yangtze River Delta region – by creating high-quality sporting events and promoting the integration of culture, tourism and sports.
The race covered a total distance of 7 kilometers and followed the scenic route in the Qiyun Mountain area.
The route included famous landmarks like Dengfeng Bridge – the starting point for hiking Qiyun Mountain. Others were Jiuli 13 Pavilion – also known as Xiake Ancient Road – where travel writer and geographer Xu Xiake climbed Qiyun Mountain twice during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), as well as Wangxian Peak and Yuehua Street in Qiyun Mountain village.
Participants cross the Dengfeng Bridge. [Photo/article.xuexi.cn]
Each step of the way offered breathtaking scenery, allowing participants to experience the unique charms of ancient Huizhou – a historical region in Anhui province that roughly corresponds to Huangshan city today – amid the clear waters and green mountains.
Xiuning county – as the hosting location for the event – has in recent years implemented a range of initiatives that integrate sports into other sectors by leveraging its tourism, culture, ecology, transportation and more.
Moving forwards, plans are for the county to emphasize eco-friendly and green approaches – promoting more healthy and recreational activities, to accelerate the high-quality development of the local cultural, tourism and sports industries.