From padel tennis and rugby to frisbee, skateboarding, and pickleball, and to curling, cycling, lure, and floorball, Jiangwan Stadium—once hailed as the "Far East's Number One Stadium"—has transformed into a hub for over 30 new sports. It has become a vibrant gathering place for the youth, especially on weekends.

In innovative Yangpu, historical structures are rejuvenated rather than antiquated. The emergence of new sports and the vibrancy of sports communities have endowed them with a fresh lease on life. As part of the new practice of a people's city, Yangpu's "Sports Plus" is a new initiative that is both modern and invigorating.

The "Far East's number one stadium" transforms into a hotbed for new sports

Enjoying a relaxing "lay flat" experience at the local community health station, warm and cozy

In recent years, with the continuous enhancement of urban public spaces, Jiangwan Stadium, once known as the "Far East's Number One Stadium", has rejuvenated. From padel tennis and rugby to frisbee, skateboarding, and pickleball, and to curling, cycling, lure, and floorball, Jiangwan Stadium—once hailed as the "Far East's Number One Stadium"—has transformed into a hub for over 30 new sports. It has become a vibrant gathering place for the youth, especially on weekends.

This weekend, Jiangwan Stadium hosts the "Youthful Energy the Future" - Yangpu Sports Health Industry Chain Promotion Conference. At this event, the Yangpu Sports Bureau and KIC jointly awarded plaques to 17 representative sports communities, including "YEAHH PARK". In the time-limited interactive experience zone for trendy sports, residents can immerse themselves in activities such as archery tag, flag football, and padel tennis.

Archery tag, dubbed the real-life "Hunger Games", is a sport that is simple to learn and packed with fun. With just a helmet, protective gear, and arrows in hand, participants can become warriors, and recently it has become a sensation on social media. Archery tag enthusiast, Zhu Liujing, told reporters: "I started as a spectator, but the infectious atmosphere at the matches drew me in, and I joined in. The sport offers the thrill of shooting games and a way to vent stress from work and life, making it incredibly appealing."

The emergence of new sports and the vibrancy of sports communities have brought a fresh wave of energy to sports facilities. Jiangwan Sports Center now boasts a configuration of one field and three halls (a football pitch, a swimming pool, a martial arts arena, and a multi-purpose stadium), along with outdoor facilities such as a basketball court, padel tennis center, urban fishing (lure) spots, cage football fields, tennis courts, lawn courts, and a circular promenade. These spaces not only cater to a variety of sports needs but also serve as social hubs for young people to mingle after their activities. In just a few months, the center has drawn in key communities like Gravity, Shanghai Warriors, SPEED LIMIT15, i-Running Club, and Shanghai Huddle, as well as nearly 100 other deeply engaged communities including JAM Touch, TTF Cycling Club, JUSHOOP, and Deepfear. On weekends, throngs of young people flock here to engage in sports, socialize, dine, and shop.

"A new destination for comprehensive health living" emerges

This year, Jiangwan Sports Center has hosted over 700 community activities and more than 30 annual signature events, attracting over 230,000 sports participants. These numerous community activities have not only enlivened the sports scene in the area but also increased the utilization rate of the center's facilities. Moreover, the influx of sports events has spurred economic growth in Wujiaochang, fostering a deeper integration of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibitions.

Recently, the "4th Shanghai Citizen Games - Shanghai Physical Fitness Championship Finals & 2024 CFC Tour • Shanghai Yangpu" took place at Jiangwan Stadium. On the competition day, athletes from across the country gathered, with many attendees bringing their families to watch. The event included three categories: comprehensive fitness, skill challenges, and fun fitness, catering to all age groups, allowing both young and old to find their place in the competition.

Eight-year-old Ren Yunting, competing for the first time, showed great potential. "By consistently exercising, our child not only enhanced her physical fitness but also gained a sense of achievement and self-confidence in the parkour event," said Ren's father, Ren Jiahui.

National-level competitions have brought a vibrant atmosphere to the Wujiaochang business district, making it bustling over the weekend. "We aim to bolster consumption through the power of sports," said a key organizer of the event. They plan to continue organizing high-caliber sports events and activities to advance the national fitness initiative, encouraging broader participation in sports and the enjoyment of the health and joy they provide.

Jiangwan Stadium, situated in KIC, is in close proximity to prestigious universities such as Fudan University and Shanghai University of Sport. The area is teeming with a variety of restaurants and unique shops, where diverse trend cultures converge and thrive, creating a dynamic environment.

"Yangpu is home to a significant number of college students and young people who are most receptive to trendy sports," noted Wang Hong, General Manager of KIC. Looking ahead, she aspired to use professional sports events as a basis, and to develop community activities that will position Jiangwan Stadium as a "nurturing ground for China's emerging sports events" and a "new destination for comprehensive health living."

A flurry of sports events has been "intensely launched" in Yangpu, with the event economy emerging as a crucial driver for urban development

Sports events such as the Yangpu leg of the Shanghai National Physical Exercise Standard Competition, the 4th Shanghai Citizen Games - Rugby Finals & 3rd "4 Seasons Universal Cup" Touch Rugby Invitational, and the China Martial Arts & Kendo Open Finals as well as the 4th Shanghai Citizen Games - Kendo Event Finals have recently taken place in Yangpu, symbolizing the district's vibrant sports scene.

Sports are an important reflection of a city's comprehensive strength and level of civilization. As Shanghai targets the development of a globally renowned city, it is vigorously promoting the high-quality development of sports in the new era. Beyond leveraging the "traffic" of events to boost regional "economic growth", how is Yangpu's "Sports Plus" initiative writing a "new chapter"?

Recently, the "People's City, People's Health" 2024 Shanghai Sports Health Promotion Industry Innovation Conference & Yangpu National Sports Consumption Pilot City Development Exchange Meeting took place at Haishang Area of SUS National Science & Technology Park.

At the conference, the Shanghai Innovation and Entrepreneurship Youth 50 Forum's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Relay Station Project & SUS National Science & Technology Park Relay Station were officially launched. The establishment of the relay station represents the extension of Shanghai's united front's encouragement and support for youth innovation and entrepreneurship in sports. It aims to harness the strengths of the united front to gather intelligence and power, focusing on creating a deeply integrated development system for talent, industry, and innovation chains in sports. This initiative will play a significant role in the commercialization of technological achievements, business incubation, and talent cultivation.

Huang Haiyan, Dean and Professor of the School of Management, Beijing Sport University, viewed the event economy as a vital catalyst for urban development. She advocated for enhanced cross-sector integration of sports event resources, the release of the event economy's potential, and the amplification of its economic benefits to stimulate urban development with innovative strategies.

Li Yongming, an expert at the SUS-Baidu PP Smart Sports Technology Innovation Center, highlighted the role of AI in addressing challenges and fulfilling needs within the sports domain. He noted that SUS will continuously refine its sports models to better leverage AI in sports research and the development of the sports health industry…

In 2024, Yangpu has introduced a "key industry chain" leader system, centered on a "1+2+3+4" innovative and modern industrial system. The district is dedicated to establishing, supplementing, strengthening, and extending industry chains to foster a synergistic development of industries, industry chains, and industrial clusters. Yangpu plans to concentrate on the "sports plus" initiative, deepening collaborative innovation mechanisms between government, industry, academia, research, and practical application. It aims to support leading enterprises in establishing multiple sports labs in partnership with universities and research institutions, infusing the sports health industry with robust innovative energy. By leveraging the SUS National Science & Technology Park, Yangpu seeks to amplify the cluster effect of its sports health industry, actively attract sports health industry investments, and encourage the aggregation of industry players. Additionally, the district aims to establish a "sports plus finance" cooperative ecosystem, building matchmaking platforms for financial institutions and sports enterprises, and enhance the collection and analysis of sports consumption data. By employing modern information technologies like big data and cloud computing, Yangpu intends to offer more precise and efficient services for sports consumption.