Liannan Yao Autonomous County, China--(Newsfile Corp. - April 19, 2023) - The Guoqiang Foundation has announced the April 16th, 2023 launch of the Green Beautiful Liannan Half Marathon & Dream Walker's Happy Run in Liannan Yao Autonomous County, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province. Based on Liannan's unique ethnic and ecological cultural resources, and in the theme of "Colorful Yaoshan, Green Beautiful Liannan," this year's Yao Marathon (Green Beautiful Liannan Half Marathon & Dream Walker's Happy Run) combines national sports with rural revitalization, showing Liannan's achievements in common prosperity and inspiring the cultural vitality of rural revitalization in the new era.
The tournament was sponsored by the People's Government of Liannan Yao Autonomous County and Guangdong Farmers' Sports Association, technically certified by China Athletics Association and guided by Guangdong Athletics Association. It was hosted by relevant departments of Liannan Yao Autonomous County Cultural Tourism, Liannan Yao Autonomous County Rural Revitalization Bureau, Guoqiang Foundation and GUSTO, while being co-organized by Guohua and supported by Guangdong Rural Development Foundation.
There are two events: A 21.0975km half marathon and a 5km Dream Walker's Happy Run. After fierce competition, Wang Kun won the men's half-horse championship with a gunshot score of 01:10:53, and Chen Liqin won the women's half-horse championship with a gunshot score of 01:21:31.
With a total of 25 platforms broadcasting live, and more than 8.5 million netizens watching the live broadcast online, nearly 8,000 contestants gathered in Liannan. Tens of thousands of people watched the cultural performance of Yaotai on the Water in Sanjiangyuan, and more than 20,000 people experienced the characteristic farm-like sports meeting with more than 130 kinds of Yao specialty products. The event attracted mainstream media.
The national launching ceremony of 2023 Dream Walker was also held on-site. At the ceremony, Xing Aowei, Olympic champion of gymnastics, and Wang Xin, Olympic champion of diving, were awarded the title of charity ambassador, and together with four guests, they launched the 2023 Dream Walker charity run for love.
National Launching Ceremony of "2023 Dream Walker"
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Exploring a new path of rural revitalization through sports and public welfare
Lighting projects for the Yao Marathon track, Yaotai on the Water in Sanjiangyuan, and on Liuzuo Mountain were all built by the Guoqiang Foundation.
Since 2020, under the guidance of the county government of Liannan Yao Autonomous County, Country Garden and the Guoqiang Foundation have carried out the rural revitalization and assistance work in Liannan, building a breeding and recycling industrial park, a new era civilization practice center, and a Shanyaoling-themed homestay resort. The collaborative effort also devised the Xu Hongfei sculpture art exhibition and other projects to help integrate the development of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, helping to build a livable and beautiful countryside.
The Dream Walker's Happy Run is a public welfare hiking project initiated by Country Garden Group and Guoqiang Foundation in 2019. Since the launch of the project, 77,843 walkers have left their footprints in more than 70 cities across the country, covering a total distance of 128,267 kilometres. Participants who have completed the Dream Walker's Happy Run event received a gift package of Yao's special agricultural products to participate in local consumption to help farmers and revitalize the countryside.
The public participated and experienced the new look of the farmers' countryside
After three years' absence, the Liannan Half Marathon & Dream Walker's Happy Run has received wide attention since the registration started. In addition to nearly 8,000 contestants from all over the country, there are more than 540 cheerleaders with Yao characteristics distributed along the track, cheering for the contestants.
To represent Yao’s population of farmers, supporting activities, such as rice planting, load-carrying, and grain transport by unicycle events were featured.
There were also more than 20 merchants who brought more than 130 kinds of characteristic Yao products to the creative market and the farmers' online livestreaming e-commerce festival. Through consumption to help farmers, Liannan's high-quality ecological products and cultural tourism products will go out and Yao Marathon will become a sports carnival where all people can participate in public welfare and enjoyment.
Featured Agricultural Games and Creative Market of Consumption Supporting Agriculture
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On the evening of April 15th, the Yaozhai Cultural Performance made a noteworthy impact at the Yaotai on the Water in Sanjiangyuan. The popular Yao songs and dances not only enriched the cultural life of the local people, but also provided a strong spiritual impetus for promoting the revitalization of rural culture.
Along the countryside circuit, the scenery of mountains and rivers is intertwined with ethnic customs
In recent years, Liannan has built a 150-kilometer-long Lingnan Cultural Travel Corridor with unique Yao characteristics. It is the first track of Yao culture and the 2023 Yao Marathon track runs through it.
Participants ran around the green and roads on both sides of the Sanjiang River, enjoying the scenery of the rural revitalization demonstration belt of Redness in Yaoshan along the way. They can also visit the landmarks of Liannan Cultural Tourism, such as the Guangdong Yao Museum, the Yuexiu Covered Bridge, the Liannan National Shimo Park and Sanjiangyuan Water Yaotai.
The runners are galloping on the brand-new Yao Marathon track.
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Featured event IP, empowering Liannan's culture, sports and tourism
This year's Yao Marathon has deeply explored and integrated unique resources such as human history, natural scenery and national culture. It combined the new expectations and new needs of the contestants to create a more localized event IP with Liannan's characteristics to empower the high-quality development of Liannan's culture, sports and tourism.
2023 is the first year to fully implement the spirit of the 20th Party Congress, and it is also the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Liannan Yao Autonomous County. As a golden business card of rural tourism, the holding of Yao Marathon's national characteristic competition is a concrete measure to implement the spirit of "promoting the all-round development of mass sports and competitive sports and accelerating the construction of a sports power" at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Country Garden and Guoqiang Public Welfare Foundation will continue to help Liannan, promote the high-quality development of Liannan's culture, sports and tourism, and help Liannan to stimulate the cultural vitality of rural revitalization in the new era.
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Contact: Na Xin
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.shanda960.com
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