BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Alongside the debut of 2025 China (Shenyang) Rowing Development Index recently, Shenyang decoded how a traditional industrial base leveraged the "sport+" mode to cultivate new urban hallmark and economic boosters.
On September 5, the China (Shenyang) Rowing Development Index Report (2025) was released there, saying that rowing in the city has undergone leap-forward development thanks to the Hun River-based resources and preferential policies.
Photo shows the venue where the 2025 China (Shenyang) Rowing Development Index was unveiled in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province in northeast China. (Xinhua/Cui Shihao)
In recent years, a series of high-level rowing competitions were staged in Shenyang where rowing is now not only a regional competitive sport but also the city's influential "name card".
As the report tells, influences embody the core competitiveness of a city hosting a sport contest and matter much for attracting elite athletes and staging globally renowned competitions.
In 2024, Shenyang's influences in the sector increased further when related sub-indexes based on number of high-level rowing contests held there and the participating athletes edged up 14.58 percent and 16.26 percent respectively to 211.54 points and 510 points, according to the report.
In late August, the city staged the 2025 Asian Rowing U-19&U-23 Championships, drawing as many as 258 athletes from 15 countries and regions to participate and showcasing the "inclusive, developing and green" philosophy of Asian rowing sport.
Shi Shengyuan, head of the foreign affairs department of the event’s organizing committee, said the contest presented the modernity of Shenyang to the world and built at the same time a bridge for Chinese and Asian youths to communicate over sports.
Generally, Han Jiaxing, researcher from the report issuer Xinhua Index Research Institute believed Shenyang is likely to ride the tide of water sports that are burgeoning in China amid the favorable policy environment and ongoing consumption upgrading.
As sub-indexes of the report provide, Shenyang has developed the "sports+cultural tourism" and "sports+industry" modes to turn tourist traffic brought by rowing contests into economic boosters in recent years.
A self-driven development pathway is in shape there, supported by government-established platforms, broad participation of market players such as the 30 local racing boat and related materials and parts producers and 20 registered rowing clubs, and improving visitor flows under diversified thematic cultural and tourism activities.
In Shenyang, rowing is now emerging as a key scenario where sport integrates better with consumption of varied types to spur urban development.
(Edited by Duan Jing with Xinhua Silk Road, duanjing@xinhua.org)
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