BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) — Question: Some thoughts on how to build the brand of cycling events
Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Bowen Xia Liang
today, how to integrate sports into the overall situation of social and economic development, better planning and development of ecological sports has become one of the issues that are paid more and more attention to everywhere. As the head core of the sports industry, how can an event stimulate the local economic vitality, promote the development of the industry and promote the practice of national fitness through the form innovation of cultural creation and business integration, it has become a topic that more and more sports practitioners pay attention.
The cultural connotation of the millennium canal is rich in spirit
starting from the Caoyun Wharf in Tongzhou, Beijing, riding along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal with a history of more than 2500 years, stretching more than 1800 kilometers, and finally arriving in Hangzhou. Relying on the World Cultural Heritage Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, a sports event called the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal bicycle Super Challenge has been successfully held for three times. With the characteristics of wide coverage area, long riding distance and passing through many provinces and cities, in the form of the combination of canal culture and sports events, drivers can also feel the wisdom of the working people in ancient China and the long-lasting cultural genes of the Chinese nation while participating in the competition.
“The Grand Canal of China is even more energetic after the success of the heritage application. Nowadays, China’s Grand Canal not only plays the main functions of shipping and promotes the traditional functions of economic development and cultural exchanges along the line, but also derives many new functions with the characteristics of the times, which are beneficial to the protection of ecological environment, the construction of tourism and leisure resources has great potential. For example, cycling enthusiasts have found the pleasure of challenging themselves on this grand canal, which stretches for thousands of miles.” Zhu Minyang, chairman of the World Canal historical and cultural city Cooperation Organization (WCCO), said that this is also the purpose of WCCO as the only international social organization specializing in the canal-taking the canal as a link, promote economic and cultural exchanges between canal cities, realize the connection between people and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.
Deng Qing, secretary general of WCCO, also thinks: “The Grand Canal of China is significantly different from most other world heritages-it is a living heritage. Today, the Grand Canal still plays an important role in transportation, water conservancy, ecology and other aspects. Although it has flowed for more than 2500 years, the Grand Canal is still a young river with infinite vitality.”
The long-term development and growth of an event cannot be achieved without the grounding and cultivation of the event culture. In Deng Qing’s view, the competition can further highlight the history and culture, and show the achievements and elegant demeanour of urban and rural construction along the line. Moreover, under the background of “healthy China”, combining bicycle sports with historical and cultural heritage can not only promote the construction of public health infrastructure, but also promote the protection and utilization of cultural heritage, sports and Culture complement each other and have broad prospects.
Wang Jiancong, CEO of Beijing Blue Sky Green Field Sports Culture Development Co., Ltd., the organizer of the Grand Canal competition, agreed. He believes that the reason why the ring law can become a classic cannot be separated from the deep accumulation of a hundred years of history. Only by establishing the unique cultural value of the competition and deeply integrating brand building with cultural accumulation can the deep driving force promote the development of the competition.
“We hope to let everyone fully feel and understand the regional humanistic characteristics and times characteristics along the canal through riding, including water conservancy culture, Caoyun culture, ship culture, commercial culture, food culture and so on, deeply experience the great history of the Grand Canal. Let everyone feel the sports spirit that never gives up and the canal spirit of the new era rich in cultural traditions and sports endeavor.” Wang Jiancong said.
Integration of business forms to explore new paths of regional economic development
at present, sports tourism has become a highlight of the development of sports industry in many places. No matter from the perspective of promoting the reform and innovation of sports industry, or from the perspective of cultivating new forms of tourism, “Sports + tourism” is promising.
As the core of the sports industry, city sports business cards are created through competitions to show the integration and development achievements of sports and culture, tourism, health care, ecological agriculture and other factors, and to cultivate regional sports tourism brands, it is a very recognized and optimistic way for Wang Jiancong.
“If there is no competition to rely on, other things will feel particularly nihilistic. Whether it is derivatives, sports tourism, or equipment sales, relevant training is also good. Only relying on competitions can we build a complete industrial chain.” Wang Jiancong said.
In just a few years, the Grand Canal competition has grown from a simple folk competition to a value platform. The teams participating in the competition, the governments along the way and sponsors all show their own values and images on this platform.
Last year, the State Sports General Administration and other 11 ministries and commissions jointly issued the “bicycle sports industry development plan”, demanding to increase the supply of sports tourism market featuring bicycle riding, encourage scenic spots around the country to build bicycle riding lanes and infrastructure facilities, and initially form riding routes with different themes such as natural scenery, history and culture, difficulty challenges, etc.
As the sub-brand and warm-up event of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal cycling competition, the organizer plans to open a new “cycling Grand Tour” event this year, with a total of 10 stops, mostly concentrated in Jiangsu and Shandong provinces, the scale is about 300-500 people. Through cycling, it is more deeply integrated into local tourism to promote local publicity and promotion and economic development.
For example, Pingyin county, Jinan city, Shandong province has the reputation of “Hometown of Roses” since ancient times. “When we organize the ‘riding day’ activity, it will be combined with local cultural characteristics. For example, in Pingyin station, which will be held on May 3, the roses here are praised as “representatives of Chinese traditional roses”. Riders can not only challenge the track, but also taste rose tea, enjoy the scenery of ten thousand acres of roses.” Wang Jiancong said, “This activity has greatly promoted the local culture, tourism, sports and economic development.”
Events help Fitness Cycling “Deep Breath”
according to incomplete statistics, there are more than 2,000 bicycle races in China, large and small, and the riding population is close to 10 million. With the launch of the “National Fitness Program (2016-2020)” and the “10th Five-Year Plan” for the development of sports industry, the key project status of cycling in fitness and promoting the development of sports industry has been established.
Different from the competitions that professional teams around Taihu Lake and Qinghai Lake participate in, the participants of the Grand Canal event are more cycling enthusiasts and some top folk experts. “The Grand Canal cultural protection, inheritance and Utilization Planning Outline” also points out that encourage cities along the Grand Canal to carry out sports and leisure sports activities and national fitness activities, and encourage social subjects to use the Grand Canal to carry out relevant mass sports activities.
Wang Jiancong believes that the promotion of the concept of great health and the upgrading of consumption make cycling a hot focus in the field of competition and fashion lifestyle.
This year, the competition introduced the concept of intelligence on the basis of commercialization, professionalization, popularization and entertainment, hoping to take the application of new technologies as the carrier, let participants get better and richer sensory experience during healthy cycling. It is understood that the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal intelligent cycling challenge held before is different from traditional cycling events. It adopts the exclusive customized 3D track of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, with a total length of 7.5 kilometers. On this track, competitors can compete with their fellow riders across the limits of time and space by using scientific and technological equipment. They can also enjoy the local conditions and customs of both sides of the canal.
Some experts said that riding itself combines attributes such as commuting, leisure and sports, which is an increasingly popular fitness method in recent years, and the cultural literacy level of participating groups is relatively high. Bi Xuemei, a professor at Beijing Sports University, said that, like marathon, many people only rode bicycles with enthusiasm at the beginning, and as more people took part in cycling, it is necessary for relevant departments to strengthen grass-roots sports guidance, build more convenient service platforms, and guide enthusiasts to follow the riding rules. Cycling will enter an era of virtuous circle, riding will also better serve the national strategy of national fitness.