Walking day held in Urumqi

By Yang Min ( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2016-08-10

The 2016 Walking for Health Day was held in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on August 6, where some 1,000 walking enthusiasts from across the region gathered to cheer for China’s Olympic athletes, as well as raise money for children in remote mountainous areas, Weitai News reported.

The one-day event took place in an ecological park, with a four-member team including basketball players, football players and an Olympic torch bearer, leading all the participants on a four kilometer walk.

During the event, participants uploaded their photographs of the walk onto social media platforms.

Gao Mei, an Olympic torch bearer of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, expressed his view that sports are of great importance in improving fitness, enjoying recreation time and promoting social interaction.

Apart from the walking activity, a series of other activities were also held, including stage performances, interactive games and freestyle football.

The walking activity has been held for three years, with a total of 90,000 people taking part and accumulated walking distance so far reaching 280,000 km. Another 20 cities such as Kunming, Haikou and Beijing will also hold similar walking activities.

At the same time, the money raised through the activities will be used for a youth football welfare program for children from poor areas.