2017年CRI Quake-hit city gets tourism boost from cycling races

 

Traditional paintings and time-honored distilleries have long been the two things that Mianzhu is famous for. Back in 2008, the devastating¹ Sichuan earthquake hit the city and severely² impacted its industries.

Nine years on, with homes being rebuilt and business bouncing back, the city is searching for new ways to boost its development, by redefining itself as a host of Chinese Cycling League races.

The city of Mianzhu in Sichuan province has become a popular place for cyclists these days. From athletes to those who just want to meander³ around on a bike, riders are gathering⁴ in Mianzhu for the cycling races.

Since its launch in 2014, the Chinese Cycling league's races have grown into one of the largest public cycling events in China. With multi-day races added for the first time to the calendar, the Mianzhu tournament has attracted more than 150 professional riders and thousands of amateurs from across the nation.

Located in southwest China's Sichuan Basin, Mianzhu is a noted⁵ historic and cultural city with picturesque⁶ scenery. [Photo: Zhao Ying]

Infrastructure⁷ is essential to the success of the tournament. Local authorities have put significant efforts in building race tracks and greenways.

Main routes of the tournament run through urban areas and local villages. One of them passes through famous scenic⁸ spots such as the Rose Valley and the Jiulong Mountains.

Hu Hao, Champion of the tournament, says the winding⁹ and hilly roads have added to the challenge.

"It is a very comprehensive track, with lots of ups and downs. Notably¹⁰, the uphill road to the finishing line is not common in China, which made the race more exciting."

The races have also ignited a passion for cycling, not only among local citizens, but also travelers. Bicycle tourism has moved from the margins¹¹ to the mainstream¹². More and more people are embracing the green and healthy way of traveling.

Located in southwest China’s Sichuan Basin, Mianzhu is a noted historic and cultural city with picturesque scenery. [Photo: Zhao Ying]

Luo Tao, deputy mayor of Mianzhu, says the city is looking to boost its development through sports tourism.

"100 kilometers of greenways have been built in Mianzhu, with more being planned. An increasing number of local citizens, as well as tourists, are riding on the greenways. We hope the cycling races could help promote infrastructure construction, cultural inheritance and the tourism industry as a whole."

The three-day tournament in Mianzhu is the fifth stop of the Chinese Cycling league's races, which are now in their third season.

Aside from immediate¹³ economic benefits, authorities also hope the event will help to build a brandname for Mianzhu as the ideal destination for tourists who want to explore the unique landscape, historic sites and quaint¹⁴ villages on their bikes.

1 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

2 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

3 meander   

n.河流的曲折，漫步，迂回旅行；v.缓慢而弯曲地流动，漫谈

参考例句：

• Visitors and locals alike meander along the sidewalks of the Seine River.游客与当地人沿着塞纳河岸漫步聊天。
• They tumble down mountainsides and meander through flat farmlands.它们滚滚冲下山脊，蜿蜒穿过平坦的农田。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

8 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

9 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

10 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

11 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

12 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

13 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

14 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。