International sporting event boosts service industry in coastal city

For Qidong, a coastal city in East China's Jiangsu province, a major international sporting event is helping to boost its service industry and deepen cultural exchanges.

At an intangible cultural heritage market outside the Qidong Poly Grand Theatre, the displayed items attracted a large number of visitors on Oct 25, including many international visitors who came to the booths to experience the charm of traditional Chinese craftsmanship.

The city's "event economy" has taken shape within its service industry, said the Qidong municipal government, stressing that it will strengthen its cultural and sports activities, as well as performing arts and ticket economy.

Qidong has a strong economic base, with a regional GDP of 155.689 billion yuan ($23.23 billion) in 2025. The city is seeking to diversify its service industry, leveraging the sporting event as a key driver.

In Jiangsu, the scale of the sports industry has reached 694.93 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of around 10 percent since 2020, providing a strong industrial chain and professional operational experience for local competitions.

On Oct 25, the Fourth Traditional Sports International Exchange Competition concluded in Qidong, attracting more than 800 traditional sports enthusiasts from over 60 countries and regions.

At the intangible cultural heritage interactive area, Irene Hoffmann, an athlete from Austria, stood at the metal-and-stone rubbing booth and examined the craft carefully.

Participating in the competition for the second consecutive year, she was awed by this traditional Chinese craft. As she rubbed and pressed, ancient Chinese characters emerged on the paper, fascinating her.

"Metal and stone rubbings printed with Chinese characters are very special to us. I really want to know how these exquisite works are made," she said, adding that her performance at this year's event was good, boosting her confidence in practicing Health Qigong in the future.