Baseball fan vies for Ningxia home run

A young man from Taiwan has stepped up to the plate in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region to introduce the autonomous region to his favorite sports — baseball and softball.

Despite being 2,600 kilometers away from Taipei, where baseball and softball are already popular, 37-year-old fitness manager Lin Zhi-xun aims to use the sports to bring people together in Ningxia and promote healthier lifestyles.

"Even though we only introduced baseball and softball here in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia, in 2022, the development has surpassed our expectations," said Lin, who founded Ningxia's first baseball and softball association. "Not only men are enthusiastic, but women are also actively participating."

This year he led the association's women's baseball team to the national women's baseball club competition. They secured fourth place, which was "truly unexpected".

Before coming to Ningxia, Lin had only heard of its name from a night market in Taipei, which shares the region's name.

His life in Ningxia started in 2016 with a phone call from an investor who needed someone to manage a chain of fitness centers in the region.

Lin decided to take the opportunity, even though he initially thought he would end up working in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Shenzhen, "just as my Taiwan fellows did", he said.

He did an internet search for Ningxia and found it to be a relatively unknown and seemingly underdeveloped region, which made him worry about the security there. Also, none of his acquaintances had ever been there.

However, upon arrival, he found Ningxia to be quite different from his expectations. Among all the appealing features, particularly, he loved the climate.

"It's much drier compared to the humid environment in Taipei," he said.

Also, clothes dry quickly without becoming moldy. The pleasant conditions in the city have made his acclimation relatively smooth and easy, he said. The city has also developed rapidly and significantly since 2016.

After coming to Ningxia, Lin briefly worked in Shanghai and Suzhou, a city in Jiangsu province, for less than a year out of curiosity about life on the Chinese mainland.

"I found the social interactions in Shanghai and Suzhou were a bit more distant compared to the straightforward and candidness here in Ningxia," Lin said. "People's honesty made interactions more comfortable, leading me to stay here."

In managing fitness centers in Ningxia, Lin noticed the absence of baseball and softball, his favorite sports from an early age. This prompted him to promote the sports from the ground up, he said.

Starting from zero was challenging, especially for someone who wasn't a local like himself, he said.

"Many who picked up my calls were skeptical and some even mistook my calls for scams due to the rarity of Taiwan people in Yinchuan, unlike in major cities like Beijing or Shanghai," he said. "Luckily, my local partners handled most of the public relations, while I focused on teaching."

The Ningxia Taiwan Affairs Office and the other governmental departments provided significant support, helping him connect with schools and relevant departments.

"Without their assistance, gaining access to schools to promote the sports would have been extremely difficult," Lin said.

Teaching children to play baseball has been rewarding and has reminded him of his own passion for sports. "It allows me to share my enthusiasm with others," he said.

Yinchuan has a climate that is particularly suited to playing baseball. The city's relatively high altitude and health conscious locals, combined with the predominantly sunny weather, make it an ideal place for outdoor sports, he said.

Unlike Taiwan, where frequent rain limits outdoor practice, Ningxia's climate allows for year-round training, with only cold winters requiring some adjustments, according to Lin.

The sport's development here has been faster than his expectations. While in Taiwan, where girls are reluctant to participate in baseball due to the fear of getting tanned, girls in Ningxia are eager to try out new sports.

This enthusiasm led his association's women's baseball team to take fourth place in a national competition in May.

At present, nearly 80 to 90 adult members of his association regularly participate in activities and practice sessions. When factoring in those who participate less frequently, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1,000 individuals.

"Promoting baseball and softball in Yinchuan is more than just introducing new sports. It's about fostering communication and building community," Lin said.

"Some members are demanding jobs and can only join occasionally. We organize events such as desert camping and paddleboarding by the lake. Many members find our weekend events particularly fun and engaging, making our club a vibrant and diverse community."

After living in Yinchuan for 8 years, Lin has built up a baseball and softball community and wishes more Taiwan friends can visit Ningxia to enjoy the sports together.

Lee Ching-an, director of the Yinchuan Taiwan Compatriots Investment Enterprises Association, said: "We hope more Taiwan entrepreneurs can explore opportunities in the region. The local government has provided substantial support, including land acquisition, reduced labor costs and tax incentives that have helped Taiwan enterprises thrive in various sectors, from education to agriculture and manufacturing."