On land and on water, Guizhou's Xingyi a magnet for sport lovers

Members of the China Storyteller Partnerships Tour of Amazing Guizhou walk on the track at Wanfenglin scenic spot in Xingyi city of Qianxi'nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, September 14, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Standing at the start line of the 2023 Wanfenglin Half Marathon, members of the China Storyteller Partnerships Tour of Amazing Guizhou kicked off their exploration of the scenic and recreational Xingyi city of Qianxi'nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture on Thursday.

The marathon, held on September 10 and in which more than 10,000 runners from home and abroad took part, was named after Wanfenglin scenic spot, a tour area featuring dense and bizarrely shaped karst peaks extending for hundreds of kilometers and along which runners could enjoy views of the city, villages, crops and canyons. The spot is ranked by Chinese National Geography as one of the six most beautiful peak forests in the country.

A member of the China Storyteller Partnerships Tour of Amazing Guizhou poses for photos with tourists at Wanfenglin scenic spot in Xingyi city of Qianxi'nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, September 14, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Nature rich, Wanfenglin boasts rich culture of the Bouyei ethnic group. It is home to the national intangible cultural heritage Bayin Zuochang, a Bouyei ethnic band in which members playing eight different instruments while singing. It has gone global as its Bouyei brocade design had made a splash at this year's China international fashion week in Beijing earlier in September.

A member of the China Storyteller Partnerships Tour of Amazing Guizhou looks at Bouyei brocade products at Wanfenglin scenic spot in Xingyi city of Qianxi'nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, September 14, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Xingyi, capital city of the prefecture, also boasts China's largest artificial lake and fifth-largest freshwater lake – Wangfeng Lake. Covering an area of 176 square kilometers with 10.26 billion cubic meters of waters, the lake is formed by Tianshengqiao I Hydropower Station Dam, a key national hydro power project located at the nexus of Guizhou, Yunnan provinces and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

It is emerging as paradise for water sports and outdoor lovers as visitors can go wild fishing, speed boating, yachting, kayaking and other water recreational programs surrounded by the karst peaks and ethnic villages.

Performers present Bayin Zuochang, a Bouyei ethnic band performance in which members playing eight different instruments while singing at Wanfenglin scenic spot in Xingyi city of Qianxi'nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, September 14, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Xingyi is the permanent venue of the International Conference of Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports and this year's conference is going to kick off on Friday with the Wangfenglin marathon event as part of it.

China Storyteller Partnerships was founded on China Internet Media Forum in April. The partnerships aim to provide a better internet platform and facilitate international content creators to produce better outputs telling China's practice and achievements.

Members of the China Storyteller Partnerships Tour of Amazing Guizhou have photos with Bayin Zuochang performers at Wanfenglin scenic spot in Xingyi city of Qianxi'nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, September 14, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Members of the China Storyteller Partnerships Tour of Amazing Guizhou experience kayaking on Wangfeng Lake in Xingyi city of Qianxi’nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, September 14, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A member of the China Storyteller Partnerships Tour of Amazing Guizhou takes a ride on speed boat on Wangfeng Lake in Xingyi city of Qianxi'nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, September 14, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Members of the China Storyteller Partnerships Tour of Amazing Guizhou have group photos at Wangfeng Lake in Xingyi city of Qianxi'nan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, September 14, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]