Sporting spirit of local people on display

Entering the Sichuan Museum, Chengdu Museum and Chengdu Sport University Museum, one will be amazed by the extensive collection of ancient artifacts, showcasing the long and prosperous history of sports in Chengdu.

The urban sports history of Chengdu dates back to the ancient kingdom of Shu in the 12th century BC. The carvings of bows, arrows, fish and birds on a gold crown and staff unearthed from the Jinsha Ruins provide ample evidence of the widespread use of archery in primitive production and hunting.

The people of Chengdu have had a diverse range of sports hobbies since ancient times. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), popular sports in Chengdu included weiqi (go), cuju (an ancient Chinese football game) and juedi (a traditional Chinese wrestling contest). Polo became a craze in Chengdu during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), giving birth to the world's first women's polo team. Dragon boat racing on the Jinjiang River reached unprecedented popularity during the Tang and Song (960-1279) dynasties. In the Song, Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties, chuiwan, considered a precursor to golf, became popular in Chengdu.

As the Chengdu FISU Games approaches, the sporting spirit of the local people has been awakened. As a "park city under the snow-capped mountains", people are leveraging Chengdu's natural environment to tackle the "new triathlon". It involves cycling along the Chengdu Ring Greenway, reaching the summit of Longquan Mountain to watch the sunrise and camping in the city. The "new triathlon" has become a popular fitness project on social media.

Cui Can, a Chengdu resident, said: "In the past, my friends and I were quite homebodies living a leisurely lifestyle. But now, we frequently organize trips to the gym or greenways for ball games or cycling."

He said that in recent years, sports facilities near his home have become increasingly well-equipped, and the sports spaces in parks and greenways have become more diverse.

Recently, Cui and his friends completed a 100-kilometer cycling challenge on the Chengdu Ring Greenway. "We rode for the entire day. Although we were tired, the stunning scenery along the route made it all worthwhile," he said.

The Chengdu Ring Greenway is a 100-km-long circular green trail built alongside the Chengdu Ring Expressway. It is a primary greenway in the Chengdu Circular Ecological Park, boasting 78 scenic bridges that connect 121 ecological parks including Guixi Ecological Park, Qinglong Lake Park and Jincheng Lake Park.

The Chengdu Ring Greenway is an important part of Chengdu's Tianfu Greenway system. In order to become a "park city", Chengdu has planned a 16,900-km-long Tianfu Greenway within its 14,300 square kilometers of urban area.

The greenway system is equipped with an array of sports facilities and incorporates diverse landscapes such as mountains, forests, lakes and fields throughout the city. This ensures that residents of Chengdu have convenient access to natural sports venues.