Feature: Sport nourishing ethnic county in NW China

XINING, China, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Once it was "a Faraway Fairyland" in northwestern China's Qinghai Province, now it is a sports wonderland boasting the hometown of China's first Tibetan Olympic champion, race walker Qieyang Shijie.

SPORTS CAN CHANGE DESTINY

With warm sunshine and gentle breeze, herds of cattle and sheep wander around the prairie, and the voice of nature is the only sound. This scene comes to Qieyang Shijie thousands of times when she is away from home.

In 1990, Qieyang was born into a local herder's family in Haiyan county, in northeastern Qinghai's Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Her athletic potential was discovered at a local sports meet.

"When I was young, I loved running because it was fun, and I also ran to chase the herds. At that time, I did not know sport could change my destiny," said Qieyang.

Following the advice of a local coach, she decided to take up running as a profession, and she soon joined China's national team.

"I started from the local training team, and then I was recommended to a provincial sports school where I changed my event to race walking. Two years later, I joined the national team. For me, it all happened so fast, but I still remember the muddy track in Haiyan and those endless training sessions," said Qieyang.

Making her Olympic debut at London 2012, Qieyang finished third in the women's 20km race walk. Ten years later, Qieyang was promoted to first place after original champion Elena Lashmanova of Russia was disqualified for doping. Previously, Russia's Olga Kaniskina had also been stripped of her silver medal. Thus, Qieyang became the first Tibetan Olympic champion.

After years of effort, what matters most for her now is to inspire more people. In Haiyan, many children take Qieyang as their role model, and parents are realizing the power of sports too.

SPORTS TAKE ROOT IN THE COUNTY

"People in Haiyan love sports, Qieyang is one of us, but she is exclusive," herdsman Tsering said, seeing a picture of Qieyang hanging on a public service advertisement.

Tsering's battlefield is in horse racing, having started aged six. Now in his 60s, he is famous in Haiyan county, serving as president of a horse racing association, with his living room packed with trophies and awards.

"Like race walking, you can't miss a step. If you mess the pace and rhythm in horse racing, you will be disqualified," said Tsering.

Recalling one race last year, Tsering said that more than 3,000 people around the county crowded the stand and the track, with shouts and cheers filling the air.

Basketball is another favorite of Tsering's. Outside his house on the pasture, Tsering set up a basketball stand, which has become a popular spot for children nearby.

In Tsering's point of view, sport is a close friend. "Sports will help us keep in good health. No matter what we do, good health is the base," said Tsering.

Beside the trophies and awards stand the souvenirs and pictures of Tsering and his family travelling around the country. Tsering's life is greater than before, he likes travelling and meeting tourists who come to Haiyan to try horse riding and cycling.

SPORTS NOURISH THE COUNTY

With an average altitude of over 3,000 meters, Haiyan county is near Qinghai Lake, China's largest inland saltwater lake. Every year, the Tour of Qinghai Lake, well-known for its long distance and high-altitude, attracts not only professionals but also lots of cycling enthusiasts.

Since its first run in 2002, the Tour of Qinghai Lake has become one of the world's leading cycling events. Losang Gyanco is a loyal fan of the Tour of Qinghai Lake. Inspired by it, he combined cycling with tourism and took sports as his business.

Born into a poor herding family in the 1970s, Losang went out to work from an early age, hoping to make a good living for his family. By the end of the 1990s, on the train back to Qinghai, he saw the enrollment brochure of a provincial art school. With help from his family and teachers, he was admitted and became a singer.

When he noticed the number of tourists has increased since the holding of the Tour of Qinghai Lake, Losang seized on an opportunity. In 2005, he started his career with a guesthouse by the side of Qinghai Lake.

"Cycling enthusiasts and tourists are overwhelmed by the beauty of Qinghai Lake, and they want to feel it in their own way. Cycling is an environmentally friendly approach, and is also healthy," said Losang.

In 2012, Losang and his partners decided to establish a Bike Service Base to offer tourists a better travelling experience. A year later, Losang set up a Cycling Club, which promoted the development of 70 cycling clubs in the capital of Haiyan county.

In his decades of entrepreneurship, he encountered many challenges, but he never gave up. "I felt the spirit of sports when I was riding around Qinghai Lake, and I still remember it. The total distance is about 360 kilometers. The key is to keep faith," said Losang.

As a singer, one of Losang's favorite songs is "In a Faraway Fairyland". "This folk song shows the beauty and charm of my hometown, and my dream is to let more people feel that," said Losang.