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April 4, 2024

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Thousands join Cherry Blossom Running in Binjiang District

By Wu Huixin | 00:00 UTC+8 April 4, 2024 | Print Edition

The Cherry Blossom Running has long been a tradition in Binjiang District. This year, the event was held on March 30, drawing over 2,600 residents citywide.

The waterfront esplanade of Wentao Road, lined with 3,000 cherry trees, captivates hordes of visitors with its stunning river vistas and lively cherry blossoms each spring.

The annual running has a race length of 13.14 kilometers. The number sounds similar to “love for a whole life” in Chinese, which echoes the romantic vibe of the road.

In addition to residents, companies based in Binjiang, such as Hundsun Technologies, Dahua Technology, and Focused Photonics, organized their employees to take part in the vernal event. Some even came to showcase their products.

The quadruped robots Unitree B2 ran alongside people to provide water and food. The robotic dog caused a sensation in last year’s Hangzhou Asian Games when it was used to deliver sports equipment for track and field.

The dog could run 6 meters per second at most with excellent terrain adaptability moving on slippery or uneven surfaces. With long-distance reconnaissance capabilities, it could grasp the overall situation and provide an important basis for scientific decision-making. For instance, it could go deep into a fire or blizzard to perform key tasks regardless of danger.

The romantic cherry blossoms also attracted sticklers for tradition. Some runners wore conventional hanfu to jog along Wenao Road, which made a sharp contrast with the nearby skyscrapers.

In recent years, hanfu (traditional Han-style clothing) has experienced a renaissance in Hangzhou as it has regained its appeal and become fashionable among hipsters, hobbyists and historical re-enactors.

The hanfu renaissance in return has created the so-called guochao (China chic) trend, a movement that celebrates Chinese designers’ focus on their culture and the changing fashion market.

To cash in on the guochao trend, organizers set up cultural and creative fairs along the road, which enriched the competition and attracted flocks of passers-by.

The fair also featured intangible cultural heritage handicrafts, flower arrangements, Chinese traditional music, and activities such as touhu (an arrow-throwing game) and anime cosplay.

Dubbed “the most beautiful jogging path in Hangzhou,” Wentao Road stretches for more than 17km along the Qiantang River. It is popular with residents who stroll and jog along it every day, and has become a calling card of the district during springtime.

Now, Wentao Road is designated as a demonstration site showcasing the integration of a favorable environment and public sports grounds in Binjiang District. Its waterfront park includes a jogging runway, a basketball court, skateboard areas and a sand pit for children.

The running event hopes to enhance public awareness of the importance of doing physical exercise in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and to enhance people’s overall sense of happiness.

For years, Binjiang has been improving the public service system for fitness and physical activity. The Cherry Blossom Running is part of government’s efforts. To offer residents more space for physical exercise, Binjiang completed 41 so-called “embedded sports grounds” last year.

The district initiated the concept of “embedded sports grounds” in 2022, which focuses on utilizing all available space to create sports facilities that are easily accessible to every resident.

Rooftops, underground spaces, waterfront parks, green thoroughfares, rivers, residential communities, and other possible nooks are being turned into gyms and alfresco fitness facilities, as the local government embarks on a three-year project to realize its goal.

According to the project, over 250,000 square meters of gyms and 45,600 square meters of “embedded sports grounds” will be constructed by 2024. This initiative will ensure that residents living or working in the vicinity will only need to walk a few minutes to access these free fitness facilities.

In addition, the Binjiang government is upgrading facilities of existing gyms and stadiums, offering residents a wider range of options. The Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, commonly known as the “Big Lotus,” has already been opened to the local population.

Hangzhou


 

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