China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Sheshan resort a national year-round sports tourism destination
Shanghai Sheshan National Tourist Resort in Songjiang district is promoting sports activities aimed at supporting the development of its “all-for-one” tourism model.
The concept of all-for-one tourism was advocated by Premier Li Keqiang in the 2017 Government Work Report in March, to cater for the country’s growing demand for tourism products and services, as well as to help boost its economic transition.
The central authorities have issued guidelines to encourage local governments to integrate tourism resources to improve competitiveness and the quality of services.
“We hope to develop the (Sheshan) resort into a tourism destination that can serve the demands of everybody, no matter their age, gender or interests,” said Zhou Yan, deputy director of the resort.
The resort co-hosted the first X-Fly Drone Racing International Open in the Shanghai Sculpture Park in Songjiang on Nov 18-19, the latest sport program promoted by the resort.
Drone racing is a new highspeed competitive racing sport, where skilled pilots fly quadcopter drones through threedimensional courses at high speeds.
More than 100 leading drone racing players from home and aboard brought self-designed high-speed drones to the Songjiang contest, witnessed by a crowd of more than 5,000 people.
Drone racing was developed in the United States in 2014. Operators have to wear virtual-reality glasses to control their machines. The drones, flying at speeds reaching 280 kilometers per hour, have to go through various arches, dodge flags and skirt other obstacles. Those who reach the end in the fastest manner are the winners. The largest drone racing event was held in Dubai in spring 2016.
China’s drone racing has become popular in recent years with an increasing number of players, clubs and groups. X-Fly is one of the well-known brands among racing drone players.
“X-Fly is a domestic-grown brand that sets out to develop drone racing contests to be more professional, standardized and commercialized,” said Qin Song, general manager of Funtastic Aviation Technology Co, one of the organizers of the X-Fly Drone Racing International Open.
City resident Wang Li, who visited the Shanghai Sculpture Park on Nov 18 with his young child, said he was a convert to the sport.
“It’s the first time I’ve learned about drone racing. It is really an exciting experience,” Wang added.
“It also offers me a good chance to teach my kid more about drones.”
The resort has issued plans to promote drone-related activities in the region after the contest, to support the development of related industries.
Funtastic Aviation Technology, based in the resort, has staged training programs and exhibitions.
Apart from the drone racing contest, Sheshan has also developed a wide variety of sports activities, including some leading international events.
The annual World Championships-HSBC Golf Champions, one of the best golf tournaments in the world and the only World Golf Championships event outside the US, has been held in the resort since 2005. In 2012, the championship was held in Guangdong province, then it returned to Sheshan.
The resort is also keen to expand its offering of sports activities so as to attract more ordinary people to Sheshan.
On Oct 27, thousands of seniors participated in a mountain climbing activity in the Sheshan National Forest Park to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival, which is known as a festival for old people in traditional Chinese culture.
On Oct 25, motorsports enthusiasts headed to Sheshan Tianma Circuit to watch the 35th Tianma Racing Championship, the last motor battle of the 2017 season.
“There are sports activities in the resort almost every week,” said Zhou. “We hope those events can show people that Sheshan is not only a greatlooking place to come to, but also has many fun activities.”
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Aside from its sports activities, Shanghai Sheshan National Tourist Resort has a wide variety of offerings to serve people’s different needs.
The Guangfulin Relics Park, which was developed to celebrate an important archaeological discovery, will be fully opened in early 2018.
The cultural zone will be the biggest highlight of the park, with more than 20 themed museum areas and memorial halls.
Guangfulin was a traffic hub in ancient times. It became a famous archeology site when farmers in the late 1950s accidentally discovered relics from a culture that thrived some 4,000 years ago.
The park is being built for cultural history lovers to discover people’s lives in ancient Shanghai. Some relics of Guangfulin culture will be displayed in the park.
The Archaeology Site Museum, which is partially underwater, covers more than 9,000 square meters and will be a special highlight.
For people keen to take a leisurely stroll in Songjiang, the Guangfulin Suburban Park, which covers 3.62 square kilometers, should be the ideal place.
The park, one of seven such parks in Shanghai, will be open in December 2017. The park even has a large camp for people who want to stay overnight in tents.