On August 26, accompanied by group performances of Chinese Tai Chi and square dance, the 4th Heilongjiang Provincial Mass Fitness Games and the 1st Jingpo Lake Mass Fitness Sports Festival kicked off at Jingpo Lake National Scenic Spot in Mudanjiang. (China News Network, by Jiang Hui)

The 4th Heilongjiang Provincial Mass Fitness Games kicked off in Mudanjiang on August 26. Photo by Jiang Hui

The First Heilongjiang Provincial Mass Fitness Games were held in Harbin in 2011, featuring the theme slogan "Strengthen the Body, Energize Longjiang." As the largest comprehensive mass fitness event in the province with the broadest participation, coverage, and social impact, it was jointly organized at the provincial, municipal, and county levels. The Games included 14 events across 3 categories, running from May to October—a span of six months—and directly engaged over 300,000 participants while inspiring nearly 10 million people to join mass fitness activities, generating widespread positive public response.

The scene of a Go competition. Photo by Jiang Hui

The current National Fitness Games and the first Jingpo Lake National Fitness Sports Festival are hosted by the People's Government of Heilongjiang Province and organized by the Heilongjiang Provincial Sports Bureau and the People's Government of Mudanjiang City. The series of events will last for one month. From August 26 to 27, over 800 athletes from 13 prefecture-level cities in Heilongjiang Province competed in "provincial-level basketball, Chinese chess, Go, chess, air volleyball, and gateball competitions." In September, the Jingpo Lake scenic area will also host the 2023 China Roller Skating Marathon Open (Jingpo Lake Station).

Basketball game scene. Photo by Jiang Hui

In recent years, to accelerate the integrated development of sports, culture, and tourism in Heilongjiang Province, serve the public fitness and sports tourism initiatives of the province, and promote the innovation of Mudanjiang's sports industry as well as the "culture-tourism-sports" integration process at Jingpo Lake, Jingpo Lake National Scenic Area has successfully organized and hosted numerous provincial and national-level large-scale sports events. In December 2022, it was approved by the General Administration of Sport of China and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a "National Sports Tourism Demonstration Base," becoming the only such site in Heilongjiang Province and one of the 14 approved nationwide in 2022.

At the opening ceremony, Guo Yutian, Deputy Director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Sports Bureau and Party Leadership Group member, and Zou Hao, Vice Mayor of Mudanjiang Municipal Government, jointly unveiled the plaque for the "Jingpo Lake National Sports Tourism Demonstration Base." (End)