China sports: Inspiring 2022, promising 2023 (5)

Booming industry

The sports industry has been developing in a diversified direction.

Teenagers participate in a flying disc training summer camp held in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, in mid-August. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Flying discs, which are known throughout most of the world by the registered trademarked name "Frisbee", became a big popularity spurt across the country this summer.

As of mid-August, players posted over 510,000 reviews about playing the sport on Xiaohongshu, a major lifestyle-sharing platform in China, and the activity became a trending topic several times on social media platforms such as weibo and Douyin.

People enjoy paddleboarding on the Liangma River in Beijing in August. [CHEN XIAOGEN/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Stand-up paddling, or paddleboarding, was another sensation this year, as enthusiasts enjoyed a splash of pleasure of paddling in the urban areas.

Skiers and snowboarders gather at a ski resort in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Dec 5. LIU XIN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

Besides, more than 200 projects have been selected in the 2022 China Sports Tourism Boutique Project, to promote the in-depth integration and development of sports and tourism by creating a number of representative and influential sports tourism scenic spots, routes, events, and destinations.