Sports plus tourism: A different experience in Yunnan
With an average elevation of 2,000 meters, Yunnan sits in a low-latitude plateau region, and its highest point mounts to 6,740 meters above the sea level. The unique geography and climate endow the province with rich resources for highland sports. Mass marathons, cycling rallies, wing-suit flying, autocross races, rock climbing, skiing… In recent years, Yunnan has rolled out a diversity of sports-tourism programs that integrates its distinct natural landscapes and folk customs. By inviting in sports lovers home and abroad for races, Yunnan has made sports tours a new signature of local tourism.
Trail running at Mt. Jiaozi
Lauded as the top sight in central Yunnan, the snow-capped Jiaozi Mountain acquired its name because of its sedan-shaped summit. The intricate topography and ever-changing weather allow the mountain to present distinctive dreamy scenes, varying according to seasons.
Trail running series at the Jiaozi scenic area have been held successively for 11 years. With a full mileage of 31 kilometers, the series involve ride-run alteration, rock falls, arrow blowing, summit climbing and more.
The trail-running routes at each session were designed in accordance with the landscape features, and the racers were either running on plank roads or climbing on the rocks. Each step brings them new sights. So far, the races have become popular among the public, winning fame and influence for the mountain in north Kunming.
At the running event last year, 13-year-old Yang Jiamu was the youngest runner. “In my eyes, Mt. Jiaozi is the same as the Everest, and the beautiful summit is what I want to conquer in my life,” Yang said. Yang’s father added the Jiaozi Mountain makes a symbolic sight in Kunming, and it presents amazing scenes even in winter.
As the nearest snow mountain off Kunming, Jiaozi allows Yunnan folks to enjoy the snowscapes commonly seen in north China, without traveling outside the province. And it even invited in tourists from Southeast Asia. At the 2019 trail running, a runner from Thailand disclosed he came to the race largely because of the rare snow sight. “I’m lucky to see frozen waterfalls in the running, and I’m quite impressed.”
The trail-run series at Mt. Jiaozi was once rated as a fine event of Chinese sports tourism. “The running event has been consecutively held here for the special land features and its beautiful landscape with seasonal changes,” said Zhang Shi, secretary-general of the Kunming Mountaineering and Exploration Association. “The runners can challenge themselves, while admiring natural beauty.
Wing-suit flying at Dashanbao
Located in northeast Yunnan’s Zhaotong, the Dashanbao national park features immense marshes, valleys of grandeur and rushing rivers. Because of its special natural beauty, the park is entitled as “the sole training base for wing-suit flying in Asia.”
Wing-suit flying is a distinct extreme sports event that brings sights for spectators and challenges to fliers alike. The event is very particular about site selection, but Dashanbao is a perfect place for suit flying thanks to its sharp elevation difference in the mountainous area. Besides, the national park is a good place for trekking, rock climbing and walking through high plank roads. All are tourist programs favored by sport lovers.
In 2014, the International Wing-Suit Flying Organization entitled Dashanbao as the world’s highest wing-suit flying site accessed directly by a highway. From then on, local authorities have built up bases for wing-suit flying and other international extreme sports by inviting in investments. With an elevation difference of 2,600 meters, the newly built diving stage tops all other Chinese peers. By fusing RV tours, trekking, rock-climbing, ballooning, gliding and suit flying into photographing, exploration, scientific expedition, sight-seeing and entertaining, the Dashanbao scenic area has formed a full system for sports tourism.
Wing-suit flying has broken the traditional boundaries between catering, lodging, riding, entertaining and shopping, bringing into full play the new business mode of sports plus tourism. In hosting the Dashanbao tourist festival on outdoor extreme sports, for example, wing-suit flying went on concurrently with ballooning, parachuting, wind tunneling, gliding and wing-suit shows. And the practice brought new vigor to local tourism.