On March 26, Jingzhou held its first marathon in three years, where its charm was best represented by beautiful city landscape through the lens, runners, hospitable citizens...Several days later, it will be ignited and animated again by another event, the First Chu Culture Festival. By leveraging the marathon that enables social cohesion and the festival that empowers cultural prosperity, Jingzhou is amplifying its appeal and influence.
In the past weekend, more than 20,000 runners gathered in Jingzhou for a marathon. Against gorgeous landscape, participants found Jingzhou an open and inclusive city full of vitality. Xiong Juan, a half-marathon runner from Wuhan, exclaimed that long tumultuous cheers from citizens on both sides of the road kept her running forward.
The marathon garnered spotlight for Jingzhou. On that day, multiple online platforms such as CCTV+, Yangtze Cloud, Yidian Zixun, Jingzhou News Release, Jingzhou Cloud, Jingzhou Culture and Tourism Radio broadcast the event live, and their posts or reports generated over 10 million views. In recent years, the marathon has expanded its runner limit and influence. The number of participants increased from 8,611 in 2017 to 20,103 this year, and they came from 17 countries around the world and 34 provinces (municipalities/autonomous regions) across the country. Over these years, the marathon gradually upgraded from a “Level C” event to a “Level A” event of the Chinese Athletic Association (CAA). Moreover, in 2018 and 2019, it was selected into the “Top 100 Most Influential Marathons in China” released by People’s Daily Online. The 2023 Jingzhou Marathon also became the first marathon in Hubei Province certified by the CAA. Combining the city's landmarks, historical sites, and natural landscape, it fully showcased the antique charm and modern chic of Jingzhou and presented its most beautiful side for runners.
In recent years, Jingzhou has continued to amplify its appeal and influence. Following the 2023 Jingzhou Marathon, there will be the official launch of another city-wide grand event. On April 8, the opening ceremony of the First Chu Culture Festival will be held on the moat banks of Binyang Tower at the eastern gate of Jingzhou Ancient City. With the consistent goal of “social cohesion, external communication, empowerment, and life betterment,” the festival is designed to present “wondrous freshness and unique distinctiveness” and become a “grand event for citizens.”
From April 8 to 9, there will be an array of events held at the First Chu Culture Festival, including four major events: the opening ceremony, the Chu Business Fair & Signing Ceremony for Major Investment Projects, the Inheritance and Development Forum on the Chu Culture & 5th International Academic Symposium on the Chu Culture, and the Chinese Film Big Data Ceremony 2022. There will also be five other activities including the Exhibition of the History of Chu, the Presentation of the Art of Chu, the Chu Opera Concert, the Chu Market, and the Chu Tour. These activities are designed to diversify the presentation of the profoundness and modern charm of the culture of Chu in multiple aspects, and leverage the festival to make Jingzhou a thriving city by developing the authority to interpret the culture of Chu, holding a wide range of activities, reproducing ancient scenes, and promoting cultural tourism.