On the morning of April 21, the Zhejiang Team Marathon will take place along the Ecological Corridor of Jindong District. More than 3300 competitors from 26 provinces of China will come to Lipu Town, one of the “10 Most Beautiful Small Towns in Zhejiang Province,” and Lingxia Town, a provincial forest town, to enjoy Jindong’s green hills and blue waters.
2019 Jindong Greenway Marathon is the fifth event in the history of Jindong District’s Ecological Corridor and has been newly upgraded to a provincial-level competition. This year’s race theme is “Jindong’s picturesque greenway and charming beauty.” The marathon is sponsored by Jindong District People’s Government, the Jinhua Sports Bureau, and the Zhejiang Marathon and Running Association, under the guidance of the Zhejiang Sports Competition Center. It is organized by the Jindong District Education and Sports Bureau, Jindong District Culture and Tourism Bureau, Lipu Town People’s Government, and Lingxia Town People’s Government, and co-organized by the Jindong District Marathon and Running Association and Jinhua Hailiang Foreign Language School. The event will be carried out by Zhejiang Enbo Sports Development Co., Ltd. The competition will be divided into two races: a 21.0975-km half-marathon and an 8-km micro-marathon.
Running a marathon to experience Jindong’s beauty
Jindong District is located in the heart of Zhejiang Province. It is home to the literary and political adviser to the Ming dynasty founder, Song Lian; early leader of the Communist Party of China Shi Fuliang; well-known Chinese composer Shi Guangnan; and one of the finest modern Chinese poets, Ai Qing. Jindong District serves as the core area of Jinyi Urban District and the central node of the Jinhua-Yiwu Corridor. Jindong has gathered several major development platforms: Jinyi New Urban Area, Duohu Central Business District, and Jinhua Mountain Tourism Economic Development Zone. It has also become the most dynamic zone and the one with the most potential in all of Jinhua.
Jindong District has been diligently carrying out the “Two Mountains” theory, focusing on the theme of “Building a Harmonious and Happy Jindong, Creating a New City of Hope.” It has been steadily working toward qualifying as an “ecological district.” It has also built the longest ecological corridor (greenway) in Zhejiang Province. The greenway is more than 200 km long. Along the greenway are six beautiful rural scenic spots, among which are the ancient village and bonsai corridor. The greenway meanders through the abundant land of green hills and blue waters, running through the string of scenic villages one by one.
The scenic route goes from the thousand-year-old Great Buddhist Temple (Dafo Temple) to the hometown of the famed Shi Guangnan and Ai Qing; another one goes from charming Old Poyang Street to picturesque Jidao Mountain; and one more starts at Putang Village, where villagers follow the idea “be proficient both in civil and military knowledge,” and goes all the way to Suoyuan scenic area. Each scenic spot connects the unforgettably unique villages of Jindong, joining the wonderful scenery of mountains and rivers.
The greenway shines with blooming vitality. Through the Greenway Marathon, Jindong District is enhancing the city’s cultural and tourism soft power and promoting the development of national urban fitness. Every holiday and weekend, city dwellers travel to the Jindong Greenway to experience the rural customs of Jindong, explore ancient village life, and wander around the sea of blossoms. Many of them stay overnight at traditional village homestays and enjoy the farm-fresh local food. Greenway leisure activities bring “green economy” income to Jindong farmers.
Running a marathon to experience Jindong’s characteristic traditions and customs
For this race, Jindong District has prepared many splendid and culturally rich performances. Among the performances are Five Classics boxing and the folk waist drum performance of Putang Village, Lipu Town; dragon dance from Lipu Town and Hekou Village of Lingxia Town; and a gong drum team performance from Hubei Village of Lipu Town, along with many other fascinating shows.
One could call this marathon a competition for leisure runners, but it would be much more precise to call it an exhibition of folklore and intangible cultural heritage. The date of the Jindong Greenway Marathon coincides with the traditional Chinese calendar’s March 17th, which is Market Day. On this day, traditionally, folk stories were sung at the marketplaces. Hu Yunqian, inheritor of Jinhua Daoqing (the art of singing ballads with a moral theme) of Lipu Town, will sing folk stories such as “Owl’s Wedding,” “Strange,” “Sister Leads Brother,” and many other stories of intangible cultural heritage. It is a popular art which attracts listeners from all over the world.
In the preparation for the competition in Putang Village of Lipu Town, a wonderful Five Classics boxing performance of intangible cultural heritage has been prepared. Putang villagers have always subscribed to the idea of “be proficient both in civil and military knowledge” to govern the village and strengthen the people. Since the mid-Ming Dynasty, they have been practicing martial arts, and even now, most people in Putang Village have mastered martial art skills. Today, Five Classics boxing has not only become a self-defense skill, but also a martial arts performance. It consists of individual, dual, and group performances. The whole set of boxing and dancing shows the spirit and outlook of Putang villagers.
Running a marathon to experience an international research spot with traditional characteristics
The final point of the marathon is Suoyuan Village, Lipu Town. Since 2015, the village has been attracting international students from all over the world. They come here to experience and learn about dragon lantern dances and water wheels, as well as to appreciate Wu Opera.
In Suoyuan Village there are currently 16 ancient buildings from the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. These include one of the largest ancient buildings in Jinhua. This 450-year-old village has become a model of protection and utilization of Jinhua’s ancient villages and has attracted a large number of international students to study and explore traditional village civilization while experiencing intangible cultural heritage.
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