Cyclists race in a cycling competition in Laoling city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Jia Peng) Riding an emerging trend toward outdoor sports, a once obscure and quiet township in east China's Shandong Province has transformed itself into a famous tourist spot featuring sports and leisure experiences. Despite its natural beauty and rich cultural and historical heritage, Shima township had long struggled to translate its resources into tangible economic benefits.
The rising tide of outdoor sports has become a game-changer for comprehensive rural revitalization in the township, which is under Boshan district, Zibo city, Shandong Province. In recent years, Shima township has hosted over 10 sporting events at various levels, establishing its reputation as a special township featuring sports and leisure activities. Meanwhile, the local government has continuously improved various infrastructure facilities for outdoor sports, turning the township into a well-known sports and leisure destination.
The township's Wuyang Lake sports and culture industrial park alone receives over 14,000 visits by athletes from provincial-level and municipal-level sports teams, and more than 300,000 tourist visits annually, providing employment for more than 200 rural workers, according to Zhang Kun, Party chief of the township. Not long ago, a grand sports carnival was held in Shima township. Gao Wenqing, director of the Shandong Sports Industry Development Service Center, pointed out that th.
