In Rock-Hard Shape

By Li Xiaoyu

Successions of jumps， overhanging passages and suspension on the tip of the shoes... For the first time， the public had the opportunity to watch rock climbers fight for Olympic gold this summer in Tokyo， Japan. Although no Chinese athlete made it onto the coveted podium， the sport is still gaining popularity with the countrys younger generations.

This is evident in the development of the first climbing-themed township in Mashan District of Nanning， capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region， since 2017. In just four years， a new favorite destination for enthusiasts from around the world has been created from scratch. Many world-class competitions have taken place here. The sport is even taught in more than 20 local schools. By taking advantage of sports tourism， the once underdeveloped area today embraces a promising future.

Turning the tide

Located in the same region as Yangshuo， a site known worldwide for its annual climbing festival which was first launched in 2008， Mashan features the same type of karst relief. The Dashi mountain range which crosses its eastern part is made up of numerous rock faces riddled with holes， like a Swiss cheese. This makes it an ideal site for climbing beginners. However， before the development of its recreational sector， the area had been plagued by poverty for generations. Water shortages resulting from the karst topography， less than 0.05 hectare of arable land per capita and a lack of other resources were the main constraints.

In the 1950s， the regions biological fragility was exacerbated by intensive logging. Its inhabitants had to spend the following decades restoring the balance of an ecosystem threatened by desertification. Today， 90 percent of the forest coverage has been restored. Yet preserving the environment while improving livelihood remains a challenge for many locals.

In November 2016， the ChinaASEAN Mountain Marathon event in Mashan was a game changer. Thanks to broadened media coverage， international enthusiasts and sportsmen marveled at the dazzling panorama of the karst peaks. The local government then came up with the idea of developing sports tourism， combining the pleasure of extreme sports with tourist discovery. It wanted to make it an effective lever to boost the local economy.

Mashans growing popularity as a destination in mountain sports eventually caught the attention of the Chinese Mountaineering Federation （CMF）. After a field study conducted by its delegation， all minds converged on the same conclusion： to make the most of local resources for the purpose of rock climbing. Hence came the development project of the climbing-themed township， occupying an area of 3.6 square km and involving 18 villages in the district.

Committed to recreation

Since the projects launch， Mashan has hosted a dozen national and international events such as the China Rock Climbing Natural Rock Face Elite Challenge and the China-ASEAN Rock Climbing Elite Competition， with the participation of more than 10，000 people. At the same time， 22 rock faces， 553 equipped routes rated from beginner to expert， six ramps， 12 platforms， two via ferrata courses， an 800-square-meter gym， as well as a campground for motor homes， hotels and other facilities have been developed.

The number of domestic visitor arrivals to Mashan doubled to about 6 million in 2019 compared to 2016， generating 4.4 billion yuan （$680 million）. The 2020 National Day holiday （October 1 to 7） alone recorded 50，000 visits and a revenue of 2 million yuan （$310，000）.

The success of this project would have been unimaginable without the commitment of the stakeholders. The CMF has provided much-needed support for the construction of the China Youth Team hub and the hosting of a series of competitions. The municipal and district governments， meanwhile， earmarked 80 million yuan （$12.4 million） and 50 million yuan （$7.7 million） in 2019 and 2020， respectively， for infrastructure construction.

The governments preferential measures have also attracted private investment worth around 1 billion yuan（$154 million）. The establishment of creative and cultural companies has further helped carve out more business opportunities and modernize the townships operational management.

The growth of sports tourism has increased the sources of local income. Liang Fangling， a farmer， lived below the poverty line until he was recruited as a security guard by a via ferrata management company. This new position earns him 3，000 yuan （$464） a month. His family is also involved in agrotourism， earning more than 40，000 yuan （$6，200） per year.

Training future champions

In addition， the government has added rock climbing to the school curriculum to ensure that the sport can grow firm local roots.

Since 2017， more than 15 million yuan （$2.3 million） has been invested in 22 schools for the construction of climbing walls， covering a total area of more than 3，000 square meters； some 50 instructors have been assigned to them. These substantial efforts have paid off. Five of the 12 female finalists in the China Rock Climbing Natural Rock Face Elite Challenge 2020 hailed from Mashan. Their performance surprised insiders as to the potential of this talent pool.

Lu Siyan， 16， has already participated in several national and international events. She said these experiences have helped shape her personality， opened her mind and given her a better understanding of the outside world. Lu is in the first year of the climbing section at Mashan High School. It is thanks to this discipline， which she has been practicing for three years， that she was able to enroll in this highly selective school.

Currently， young climbers who stand out can get a spot on either the provincial or national teams. Other up-and-coming hopefuls have the opportunity to be accepted by prestigious schools. In return， they are encouraged to return to Mashan after their studies to help with the expansion of the sport， the goal being to form a virtuous cycle.

“Athletes from Mashan possess great potential for development. We hope seeing them on the podium at the Olympic Summer Games Los Angeles 2028，”Wang Yongfeng， Vice President of the CMF， said. BR