All will be integrated into the future of Chengdu, every moment of the Universiade City | Day | Universiade

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On June 25th, Shuangshuang and Yaya, who had been practicing skateboarding for about half a year, were at the Sanse Road Skateboarding Park in Chengdu. Along the Jinjiang River, the skateboard park and trunk night market blend together, becoming a check-in point that attracts young people. Photo by Li Junhui, journalist from China Youth Daily and China Youth Network

On June 25th, at the Xicun Courtyard in Chengdu, 7-year-old Li Youran just finished playing table tennis with his grandmother. She lives near the Xicun Courtyard and comes here every night to exercise. Photo by Li Junhui, journalist from China Youth Daily and China Youth Network

On June 26th, Li Yanbo from Sichuan Normal University played basketball at Fenghuangshan Sports Park in Chengdu. He is a sophomore majoring in basketball in physical education and also a volunteer for the Chengdu Universiade. Photo by Li Junhui, journalist from China Youth Daily and China Youth Network

Over the past four years, the Universiade has delved into Chengdu, a city renowned for its ancient history and trendy lifestyle, creating new value; The all-round development of this city also endows more possibilities for the Universiade. It's like a long-distance love run that lasted over 1000 days and nights, hoping for "tomorrow" and "now" to make oneself better.

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If a gust of wind blows over Dong'an Lake in Chengdu, Sichuan, it needs to slap the leaves of at least 200 plant species. The grand event that is about to open by the lake has collided with the city's population of over 20 million.

On July 28th, the 31st Chengdu Summer Universiade will hold its opening ceremony at the main stadium of Dong'an Lake Sports Park. The hospitable Chengdu will welcome athletes and delegation officials from all over the world, and this is also the first comprehensive international sports event held in western China.

The Universiade and Chengdu have agreed to work together at the end of 2018. Since ancient times, Chinese people have attached great importance to agreements. After saying "see you tomorrow", Chengdu is working hard for every "today" that the Universiade has not yet arrived as scheduled.

Over the past four years, the Universiade has delved into this city known for its ancient history and trendy lifestyle, creating new value; At the same time, the all-round development of this city also endows more possibilities for the Universiade. It's like a long-distance love run that lasted over 1000 days and nights, hoping for "tomorrow" and "now" to make oneself better.

Nowadays, there are imprints of the Universiade everywhere in Chengdu, which can be seen directly by the eyes, or in places with deeper levels, wider dimensions, and more specific details. These marks are the present moment of Chengdu, and in a sense, the tomorrow of Chengdu.

Growing together with the city

Zhao Jing remembers that in 2018, Chengdu was still a city in her motherland, a name in the document.

That year, Chengdu expressed its willingness to bid for the Universiade to the International University Sports Federation through the China University Sports Association.

As the director of the International University Summer Games, Zhao Jing has already felt Chengdu's "particularly strong desire" through the document. She has not been to Chengdu, but that "willingness" has attracted the attention of her and her colleagues.

Prior to this, Beijing and Shenzhen had hosted the Summer Universiade, while Harbin had hosted the Winter Universiade. Zhao Jing recalled that Shenzhen went through a process of competitive voting among five cities around the world, but the International Federation of Sports Federations later adjusted the allocation strategy for the hosting rights of the Universiade. In simple terms, for cities that were particularly interested in hosting, they would assist in evaluating and bidding after investigation.

Chengdu has become a beneficiary of the new strategy. From the beginning, its strength and determination have met the expectations of the International Sports Federation, "What we hope more is to grow together with the city.".

Not long after the inspection ended, Zhao Jing received the application materials from Chengdu, which surprised her with their richness and completeness.

This material presents a blueprint for Chengdu to build a "World Sports City". The International Federation of Trade Unions has reminded Chengdu that "from a sustainable development perspective, it is not recommended to build new venues for the Universiade.". Zhao Jing recalled that the response from the Chengdu Sports Bureau at that time was: "Without you, without the Universiade, we all had to build venues and hold events, which was necessary for the development of our residents and the city's sports industry."

On December 13, 2018, the China University Sports Association, Chengdu City, and the International University Sports Federation jointly signed an intention agreement to host the Chengdu Universiade. Afterwards, Chengdu, by hosting the Universiade, proposed the goals of "organizing competitions," "building cities," "promoting industry," and "benefiting the people.". This means that a comprehensive international sports event that carries the function of home diplomacy has been given more specific and beneficial significance by Chengdu this time. At the same time, Chengdu will also present a "simple, safe, and exciting" Universiade.

With reality as a footnote, slogans are not just loud. Chengdu people who love to set up dragon gate formations are also good at turning their ideals into reality. "Venues have become new urban landmarks, changing economic geography," said Gao Yiqiang, Deputy Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Chengdu Universiade Executive Committee. "The utilization of venues after the competition has long been studied and promoted."

Of the 18 events of the Universiade, 49 venues, 36 of which were renovated and upgraded from old buildings. All venues have already been opened to the public before the opening of the Universiade. Dong'an Lake Sports Park now gathers many water sports enthusiasts; Fenghuangshan Sports Stadium has a "gold medal market"; In the 1980s, fashionable young people from Chengdu went to play basketball and watch Fei Xiang sing "A Fire in Winter" at the 40 year old Chengbei Sports Center. During the preparation process for the Universiade, it transformed according to international A-level standards. During off peak hours, citizens can play badminton for 3 hours for 12 yuan.

In June 2022, Chengdu released the Action Plan for Co construction, Sharing and Benefiting the People at the Chengdu Universiade. The official WeChat official account of the Universiade has a special "Universiade for the benefit of the people" column, which collects dozens of articles. The keywords that appear repeatedly are "free", "preferential" and "gift package". Some of them release the information of the Universiade hall that can be used for free or at a preferential price to the public, accurate to "public transportation is recommended, and the nearest subway station is Line 6"; Some have initiated nationwide fitness activities or interpreted new measures from relevant departments. Not long ago, Chengdu distributed 10000 sports vouchers for free to the public, and sponsors of the Universiade also launched projects benefiting the people.

Many previously idle urban spaces have now become sports spaces, accommodating people's pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. On the Tianfu Greenway, people run, ride, or use more than 1700 sports facilities along the way. Children who ride skateboards, roller skates, or just want to have fun on the spot also have their own equipment and territory. The newly added green space of 36 million square meters makes this already easy to bloom city more like a park. Every day, teenagers throw 3-pointers on the newly built basketball court under the overpass, while middle-aged people release pressure on the renovated football field on the roof of the parking building.

Zhao Jing, who has been in Chengdu several times and has accumulated nearly a year, has developed a deep affection for this city. On the eve of the opening of the Chengdu Universiade, in the Universiade Village located on the campus of Chengdu University, she sighed, "It's all like a dream, a beautiful and vibrant dream because of youth.". But everything is not a dream. On the schedule of building a world-renowned city for sports events in Chengdu, the Universiade has already put a clear "mark" on it.

"That's the trace left by passion"

For a period of time, whenever Zhu Jiangli looked at this city, whether it was the bustling streets or the remote and secluded back alleys, he would start thinking about one thing: "Can we still put a sports field here?" He joked, wanting to put a basket on a wall.

The deputy director of the Chengdu Sports Bureau explained that after 2020, a series of "opinions" have been issued at the national level to strengthen the construction of national fitness facilities, which precisely aligns with the "opinions" of the Chengdu people - Chengdu people who care about their quality of life should also ask if there are sports parks and sports corners around when buying a house. According to a 2021 survey conducted by the Chengdu Municipal Sports Bureau on citizens' willingness to exercise, nearly half of the respondents felt that "the sports facilities at their doorstep are not enough", and more than 70% of the respondents hope to plant more sports facilities in the urban green spaces near their homes, make more use of space, and create sports venues.

The vacant land on the streets, rooftop platforms, old factories, spaces under bridges, and land that will not be developed in the short term have all become the "golden corners and silver edges" in the eyes of Chengdu's sports system. They have hired professional research institutions to investigate and explore these spaces, hoping to transform them into community sports corners.

According to data released by the General Administration of Sport of China, in 2022, the per capita sports venue area in China was 2.62 square meters. When it comes to "per capita", Zhu Jiangli is worried, building greenways, venues, and renovating "golden corners and silver borders"... They work hard, but the speed of population growth in Chengdu is too fast, "the denominator keeps getting bigger, and we have to chase it hard.".

In the process of building a "World Sports City", Chengdu has taken sports facilities as the foundation and clarified the goals and paths for building a "sports space system at the doorstep". Thus, in Chengdu, sports parks continue to emerge, and community sports corners such as street basketball courts have emerged. The new greenway fitness space along the Tianfu Greenway has become a "internet celebrity", and there is also a fitness area under the overpass. The ideal design of the Chengdu Sports Bureau is to start from any household in the city and find a place to run in 5 minutes, play basketball in 10 minutes, and swim and skate in 15 minutes.

The per capita sports field area that the Chengdu sports system is concerned about has never been a problem for the Shanbanqiao basketball court located in Chenghua District. People who come here to play accept the fact that the per capita area is indeed small because it is too popular here.

This three half court neighborhood basketball court may be one of the most popular "wild ball" bases in China, located in the Shanbanqiao commercial district, which is said to be favored by the new generation of young people in Chengdu.

There is no charge here, no lights out, no doors closed - in fact, the Sugigami Bridge basketball court with three entrances and exits does not have a physical door at all. Leave a large opening on the metal cage shaped fence for people to come and go freely. At night, there are people playing basketball, while in the rain, there are people playing basketball. When the weather is too hot or too cold, there are still people playing basketball. If there are too many people, they will be divided into small teams and replaced after losing a few points. The videos, stories and discussions circulated on the Internet add social significance to the sports attribute. Every day, people come from out of town to play basketball and also meet "netizens". A young man from Jiangsu didn't hesitate to leave until near midnight. He said he finally came, it was worth it. Basketball star Lin Shuhao has also been here before. He went to Chengdu to participate in activities, and Shanbanqiao was not originally included in the official itinerary.

"The so-called wild ball comes from the people," said Tu Yong. This post-90s college graduate stayed in Chengdu to start a business and found a sports field near his home. In addition to playing basketball, he also made videos and posted them on social media, labeling them as "welcoming the Universiade". Unexpectedly, he created a "popular tennis court". Retired elderly Li Chunsheng comes almost every day, and when people play basketball, he provides passionate and professional commentary and guidance. After the elderly person appeared in the video, the Shanbanqiao basketball court became even more popular, and netizens know the sentence "Welcome, my friend".

The stadium was originally made of blue plastic, and with too many players, the surface of the plastic was worn out, revealing large areas of green. In Tu Yong's view, "that is the mark left by enthusiasm.". He used to self fund the maintenance of the stadium, and recently, the community has agreed to invest in renovating the ground.

Fans of the Shanban Bridge basketball court regard Tu Yong as the "organizer" here, but Tu Yong said, "I prefer to call myself a 'court volunteer'. Anyone can come to Shanban Bridge to play, shoot, and share, it belongs to everyone." Tu Yong led the way, and young people who often come here also formed an anti espionage alliance to protect the safety of basketball enthusiasts. Popularity has also driven the economy, with businesses selling beverages, fruits, and snacks along the court doing particularly well. In WeChat groups, people make appointments and chat about balls. A girl spoke up and said, "Who is the handsome guy in the video just now? If I'm single, I want to play friends with him.".

It can almost be said that this small sports ecosystem is a miniature landscape of Chengdu's construction of a famous city for sports events. What is more symbolic and has more practical value in return is Phoenix Mountain Sports Park.

Almost in sync with the determination of the hosting rights for the Universiade, construction began in December 2018 at Fenghuangshan Sports Park located in Jinniu District, northern Chengdu. It was completed in March 2022 as the core venue for the 31st Summer Universiade in Chengdu. It has a professional football field that meets FIFA standards with 60000 seats, a comprehensive sports arena that meets NBA standards with 18000 seats, and a multifunctional hall. In June 2022, the National Fitness Center of Fenghuangshan Sports Park will be opened.

Chengdu Chengtou Land Group, a state-owned enterprise under Chengdu Chengtou Group, has invested in the construction of this state-of-the-art sports venue and collaborated with Wanguan Sports, which has experience in operating the Beijing Wukesong Sports Center, to establish a joint venture team called Chengtou Wanguan Company to carry out market-oriented operation of the Fenghuangshan Sports Park. Li Li, Deputy General Manager of Chengtou Wanguan, introduced that starting from the end of 2022, they will undertake the home matches of Chengdu Rongcheng team in the Chinese Football Association Super League. The Chengdu Rongcheng team, which has just successfully "surpassed", has brought back the long-awaited "gold medal market" in Chengdu and created a popular "spectacle" for the Phoenix Mountain home court.

Since the start of the 2023 season, in the 8 home games of Chengdu Rongcheng team, the average number of players per game in Fenghuangshan has reached 39577, almost tied with the average of 40174 players per game in the English Premier League.

Since its launch, Fenghuangshan Sports Park has hosted approximately 600 events, including over 200 professional events and two concerts, with a total reception of approximately 662000 people. "On the one hand, it meets the requirements of the Universiade for venues, and on the other hand, it minimizes the impact on the daily operation of venues." Li Li said, "The Chengdu Municipal Government provides a lot of support to venues and encourages innovative operation of venues."

She introduced that people's impression of Chengdu was that compared to the bustling new city center in the south, the development in the north was once relatively desolate. Nowadays, this gap has been narrowing, and the northern part of the city has regained its hot popularity with a literary and passionate style, which is indeed "promoting business through competitions and hosting the city".

In 2022, Chengdu successfully held 12 national level sports events. At the end of the year, 12 sports parks with provincial-level or above standards were built, and there were 16700 paths for national fitness. Throughout the year, 14 million people participated in national fitness activities, and 49 Universiade venues were opened to citizens in a classified manner. In 2023, Chengdu will also host 22 international events and 36 national events.

"After Rong Piao, there will be no more drifting"

The "sports ecology" of the city directly affects Xiao Pan's "sports business".

Last summer, during the hottest season, he strolled around the Chengdu South High tech Zone every day, searching for suitable storefronts for his new store.

The place that was ultimately selected by Xiao Pan was particularly close to the Tianfu Greenway.

Xiao Pan runs a bicycle shop, not only selling professional level bicycles, but also organizing cycling activities. The greenway is the most suitable venue for this sport.

More than 10 years ago, Xiao Pan studied at Chengdu University of Technology. In order to work and deliver goods, he bought his first mountain bike, which was "second-hand and not expensive.". During the summer vacation of his junior year, he borrowed money to open his first bicycle shop in his hometown of Qionglai, Sichuan.

"I dare not say that my development has anything to do with the Universiade, but take a look at this timeline," said Xiao Pan. The first single bike dealership moved to Chengdu in 2015 and operated for 6 years. In 2021, it opened a new one, in 2022 it opened three more stores, and in 2023 it opened three more. Now, he has 8 stores in Chengdu.

"It's true that development has been particularly rapid in recent years," Xiao Pan said when looking back at the past. In 2022, the number of bicycle shops in Chengdu increased by 30% -40% compared to 2021, and the revenue of each shop basically increased by more than 50%. Xiao Pan explained that he is not afraid of many competitors, mainly because the industry has improved.

He believes that the good exercise habits of Chengdu people are related to the development of China's economy, the enhancement of public health awareness, and the improvement of regional sports economy level.

In the impression of many Chinese people, Chengdu is a place to soak in tea bowls, rinse in hot pot, hold giant pandas, and play mahjong, lazy and livable. However, such impressions should have been refreshed long ago. A staff member of the Chengdu Sports Bureau loudly emphasized in an interview that the city has a sports population of 9.4 million people, and the sports industry has exceeded 100 billion yuan in scale. Dynamic and energetic are its latest temperament.

This temperament is also reflected in more places.

In 2022, Chengdu became the seventh city in China to join the "Two Trillion Club" with a GDP of 2.08 trillion yuan. The Chengdu Youth Development Report shows that among the youth population in Chengdu, there are 6.8349 million "Rongpiao" people from other places who come to Chengdu. The proportion of "Rongpiao" young people aged 14-45 is relatively high and shows a trend of multiple sources. Every two laptops in the world are equipped with a CPU manufactured in Chengdu; In 2022, the air passenger throughput ranked first in the country; 315 Fortune Global 500 companies have settled here.

People start businesses and innovate here, and also live comfortably here. Chengdu has been selected as the happiest city in China for 14 consecutive years, and has won the "Best Talent Attracting City in China" award for 4 consecutive years. It has also been recognized as the "most attractive Chinese city in the eyes of foreign talents".

I don't know who was the first to say that sentence, "After Rong Piao, there is no drifting again.".

The atmosphere of the Universiade in Chengdu is very strong at present. The mascot of the competition, the panda "Rongbao", is being welcomed and transported at the airport and high-speed railway station; At an ordinary exit of the Second Ring Road viaduct, the "Dayun Village" sign stands next to the traffic camera; Whether it's the huge, modern global center or the spicy snack street, posters of "welcoming the Universiade and showcasing the image of civilization" can be seen everywhere; Go to the relevant departments of the Chengdu Municipal Government to handle affairs. As soon as the elevator door opens, you will see the countdown sign for the Universiade; 1000 volunteer stations are scattered throughout the city... For Chengdu during the Universiade, Zhao Jing described the scene as follows: "Suddenly, there are many young people from different countries on the streets, wearing badges and full of youth."

More than 4 years ago, both the International Sports Federation and Chengdu were very confident in the application materials that only outlined the future. One is certain that they have chosen the right partner, and the other is certain that they can fulfill their blueprint. Nowadays, the "plans" written in the application materials, such as the famous Sichuan brocade, are woven into a real beauty through warp and weft, and everyone is related to this beauty.

Zhao Jing took her colleagues to buy things, and the shop owner curiously asked, "What are so many foreigners here for?" Zhao Jing asked him to guess big things, and the shop owner immediately understood, "You come and hold the Universiade.". Zhao Jing is attending a dance class in Chengdu, where some teachers attend the closing ceremony performance and others attend the torch lighting ceremony.

"Everyone I meet here knows about the 'Universiade', which is very incredible. The city has invested a lot," she sighed. In fact, in the past few years, her dedication has also been wholehearted, to the extent that she is ready to cry heartily at the opening ceremony. In addition, Zhao Jing does not intend to attend the closing ceremony, as it is her work habit. She has embraced those cities with all her might, and she does not want to say goodbye to any of them.

It can be confirmed that although the Universiade will definitely come to an end, every moment it co constructs with Chengdu will continue to grow tomorrow.

Qin Zhenzi, journalist from China Youth Daily and China Youth Network