Lijiang to develop its plateau sports industry

Lijiang is now working on the second-stage construction of its Sports Development Center which aims to develop the local sports industry.

The sports center in Lijiang is popular with the national track-and-field team since the athletes may distinctly improve their performances after training there. The national marathon and race teams have organized training sessions at this center since September 2012. Chen Ding, a Chinese race walker who won a gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, is also a "regular customer" of this center.

"I believe that athletes will go higher, farther and faster with their training in Lijiang," said Yang Ning, director general of Yunnan's Provincial Sports Bureau.

The constructed first-stage project of the sports center covers 3,985 square meters with an investment of 288 million yuan (about $46 million). The center has an outdoor arena seating 30,000, and an indoor arena seating 3,000.

By Ge Jieru and edited by Brian Salter