KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- More than 30,000 marathoners and sports fans gathered in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province, to participate in an international marathon race on May 27.
The combination of the event and tourism industry has injected vitality into the city's ambition to become a major sports tourism destination in China, according to the Changchun Sports Bureau.
Located in northeast China, Changchun boasts rich ice and snow resources and pleasant climate. It is also one of two Chinese cities which are home to gold medallists of both Summer and Winter Olympics.
The city's sports administration has explored various ways to encourage its citizens to participate in sports, which have yielded good results.
Changchun has the country's oldest bases for automobile industry and film production, and is the cradle of industries such as railway vehicles and photoelectric technology, among others.
Thanks to its geographic advantage as the centre of Northeast Asia, the city government is aiming to make tourism its pillar industry for development, having elevated sports as a top priority, which has in turn, been recognised by the World Health Organisation.
While the government has reserved large tracts of land for sports facilities, citizens can book sports venues and find gym mates online.
Changchun has hosted the international cross-country ski festival, Vasaloppet China, for 17 consecutive years.
-- BERNAMA
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