Host city of 2025 World Games unfolds new vitality in opening wider to globe

A city steeped in culture, defined by openness

At the opening ceremony, among the organizing committee flag-bearers marching down the aisle was cultural preservation expert Sun Jie, who specializes in protecting relics from the Jinsha and Sanxingdui archaeological sites.

A passionate advocate for traditional sports like martial arts, Sun expressed hope that the World Games will further spread Chengdu's profound historical and cultural heritage.

On the same aisle, Italian Paralympic athlete Gianluca Visconti, 53, electrified crowds by refusing a wheelchair for the 800-meter athletes' march. His resolve became a symbol of both athletic grit and Chengdu's warm embrace.

In an interview with Xinhua, Visconti's impressions of the city were vivid. Everything is clean and organized, he said, noting its green spaces as "nature close to the city." But what stood out most were the people: smiling, warm and relaxed. "I felt the people so lovely and so close to me," he said.

This event is more than a competition - it's a platform linking over 100 nations and regions for cultural, trade, sport and tourism exchanges, noted Yin Jian, director of Chengdu's foreign cooperation promotion center. "Chengdu is leveraging this top-tier international multi-sport event to fully showcase the city's open-mindedness and modern vitality," Yin added.

The city has honed this role through a string of international gatherings in recent years -- the FISU World University Games, the Western China International Fair, and the Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange. Each event has sharpened its strategic focus, clarified the city's opening-up goals, and elevated its global profile, Yin said.