Guanyang gets a sporting chance to turn around its local fortunes

Guanyang county in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is integrating the development of cultural tourism and sports in a bid to alleviate poverty.

With a total population of 296,000－including 258,600 farmers－Guanyang county is recognized by Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region as a poor county. The county contains 67 villages classed as poor, of which 18 villages are in extreme poverty.

Between 2016-19, a total of 67 villages were lifted out of poverty, which had 37,128 residents in 9,727 households. The poverty rate decreased from 15.83 percent to 0.78 percent. The population of the remaining people living in poor conditions is 1,987 across 634 households.

Based on its ecological resources, including mountains, caves, rivers, and the cultural characteristics of the Yao ethnic group, the county was designated the host of the National Mountain Sports Games.

Last month, the county hosted four youth sports events. Among them, the Guangxi junior basketball and tennis championships were completed on Aug 30, which attracted youth teams from 14 cities in Guangxi.

The competition was one of the largest and highest-level youth events in Guangxi in recent years. As a first-time host, Guanyang had to pass several tests and successfully launched all its games under prevention and control measures of the pandemic, according to the local government. The quality of the events was also recognized by the referees, coaches and athletes.

Chen Yiping, director of the youth department of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region's sports bureau, said: "Although it's the first time Guanyang hosted large-scale events, we didn't receive any complaints. Ninety-five percent of the participants who came to Guanyang for the first time said they are comfortable in the county. Some athletes said that the tennis court in Guanyang is one of the most ecological in China."

According to the local government, the cultural tourism industry had decreased 60-70 percent year-on-year since the COVID-19 outbreak in China. But after hosting the series of sports events, they saw a growth of 8 percent.

The new model of integrating cultural tourism and sports makes Guanyang the only county to see positive growth among the 11 counties and six districts of Guilin city. It also brought innovation and vitality for the sustainable development of the cultural tourism industry and promoted local poverty alleviation.

Guanyang Olympic Park is providing strong support for developing sports industry. With an investment of 120 million yuan ($17.76 million), the park has three zones of sightseeing, rehabilitation and sports covering 133 hectares.

Local government officials said the park will not only become a good place for exercise, leisure and entertainment for local people, but an ideal venue for sports training and competitions nationwide once construction is complete.

According to Lu Song, head of Guanyang county, the design and construction of the stadiums are in accordance with national standards to host high-level sports events.

Lu Yiwen, deputy director of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region's sports bureau said that the park is of great significance to promote the integration of culture and tourism in the whole county and the healthy development of the television and sports industry.

As of now, the community fitness center, public stadium, outdoor tennis courts, cycling lanes, and indoor and outdoor sports facilities in some middle and primary schools have opened.