Fishing Fun at Mid-Autumn: Chinese and International Friends Share the Joy of Angling

Source: Beijing Youth Daily

The 9th Beijing International Friendly Fishing Competition was held on September 14th at the scenic Blue Fishing Grounds in the Beijing World Horticultural Expo International Resort Area, Yanqing District. The event attracted 100 fishing enthusiasts from 26 countries, both Chinese and foreign, to compete and exchange experiences.

The Beijing International Friendly Fishing Competition is a traditional international sports event with a focus on public participation. It aims to support Beijing's development as an international exchange hub by providing a platform for Chinese and foreign fishing enthusiasts in Beijing to interact and showcase their skills. The event strengthens learning, communication, and friendship between Beijing's anglers and those from other countries, while promoting recreational fishing in Beijing. Now in its ninth year, the tournament has been recognized as one of Beijing's top ten international public sports events.

This year's event was hosted by the Beijing Sports Federation and the Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. It was organized by the Secretariat of the Beijing Sports Federation, Yanqing District Sports Bureau, Beijing Fishing Association, and Beijing Shiyuan Cultural and Tourism Development Co., Ltd

The competition was structured as a team event, with each team consisting of two members - one foreign and one Chinese angler. Participants used hand rods to catch various fish species, with rankings determined by the total weight of the catch. After 120 minutes of intense competition, the international team of Fang Lifei from Indonesia and Zou Hongwei from China clinched the championship. The organizing committee awarded medals and prizes to the top six teams. In celebration of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, all participants were gifted traditional Chinese mooncakes.

In recent years, Yanqing District has leveraged its ecological advantages as "China's Natural Oxygen Bar" to integrate its mountains, forests, and scenic areas. The district has been actively introducing outdoor leisure events such as fishing and hiking competitions, developing a "sports + tourism" industry, and building the Beijing-Zhangjiakou sports and cultural tourism belt. These efforts are part of Yanqing's strategy to establish itself as an "outdoor sports city."