The 12th Guangxi Sports Festival opens at Li-Ning Sports Park in Nanning, Guangxi on Aug 8. [Photo by Tan Caibei/gxnews.com.cn]

The 2020 National Fitness Day and the 12th Guangxi Sports Festival kicked off at Li-Ning Sports Park in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Aug 8, with a number of competitions and activities being carried out both online and offline in accordance with strict COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control requirements.

The sports festival has organized activities in a scientific and orderly manner under the premise of following normal COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures. It aims to promote health through sports with the expansion of consumption and public enjoyment of life. Online and offline activities will be combined to create a pattern of integrating sports with the internet, tourism, culture, health, business, and poverty alleviation.

The sports festival will last for more than 100 days. More than 30 major events will be conducted, including an online marathon race, an online cycling challenge of the 2020 Tour of Guangxi, the second China-ASEAN Sports Tourism Month, and the Guangxi sports-driven consumption campaign.

The consumption campaign will strive to create a sports event featuring competition, consumption, promotion, and social participation by raising and issuing 300 million yuan ($40.04 million) in sports coupons, contributing to Guangxi's efforts in its COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control efforts, its economic and social development, as well as its poverty alleviation efforts.