Mountain bike cross-country race held in picturesque tea plantation in E China's Jiangxi

Cyclists compete in a mountain bike cross-country race in an eco-friendly tea plantation in Renshou township, Jing'an county, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 18, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yu)

More than 200 mountain bikers competed in a mountain bike cross-country race on June 18 in an eco-friendly tea plantation in Renshou township, Jing'an county, east China's Jiangxi Province.

The race, called the 5th "Chalifang" XC MTB Race, Jing'an, China, is a class-A mountain bike race started in 2018 in China. The fifth edition of the race was held in a beautiful tea plantation named Chalifang, which is adjacent to the Jiangxi Jiulingshan National Nature Reserve and Sanzhualun national forest park in Jiang'an county.

There were two groups in this race: the men's elite group and the Jiangxi local group. The cycling track was a 4.3 kilometer-long high-speed mountain track encircling the entire tea hill, with its elevation gain exceeding 160 meters. Competitors in the men's elite group were required to take eight laps around the track, while bikers of the local group needed three laps around the track to finish the race.

In recent years, Jing'an county has vigorously held sports events to boost the synergy between tourism and sports, and promote the integrated development of the ecological and health industries. The county has built 100 cultural squares, 15 kilometers of greenways for cycling, and a riverside park covering an area of 8,000 square meters.