Enthusiastic cross-border sporting events exemplify the China-Vietnam friendship

BEIJING, Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on people-to-people exchanges between China and Vietnam:

Loading the "gun" with "bullets" made of "needle arrows," blowing hard into the barrel, there you have it! Bull's eye! In the border regions between China and Vietnam, "blowing gun," which used to be an ancient weapon, has become a sport of friendly exchange for the people of both countries.

In recent years, after most regions in China enter the freezing winter, the China-Vietnam ethnic minorities' traditional sports competition will heat up in southwestern China's Yunnan province. With the whisk of a leash, cone-shaped spinning tops begin turning — whipping spinning tops is a popular household game among people from both countries. Cross-bows, the tool that generations of people have used in hunting and protecting crops have also become an important game in the competition. The latest competition has newly included Chinese Weiqi (the game of Go) and Xiangqi (Chinese chess), popular games that greatly interested the Vietnamese people, attracting nearly 200 athletes to compete in the event.

These are a tiny fraction of the many sporting exchanges across the China-Vietnam border regions throughout the years. The China(Dongxing)-Vietnam(Mong Cai) football friendship match has been held 29 times since 1993; county-level light volleyball matches between China and Vietnam have fostered sportsmanship as well as friendship; a cycling race co-held by China and Vietnam drew about 800 cycling-lovers to feel the charm of the border cities…

However, even decades ago, these activities were beyond people's imagination.

Take Hekou County in Yunnan province as an example. Hekou County is located near the border between China and Vietnam. Three decades ago, infrastructure like roads between villages were not complete, let alone facilities for physical exercise. Nowadays, walkways and sports parks have been built in the villages, allowing villagers to exercise there or play ballgames. On the other side of the river, in Vietnam, squares and walkways serving similar purposes have also been set up.

Moreover, in present days, villages by the meter-gauge railways between China and Vietnam host numerous tourists from both countries, and among them, many are attracted by the sports events. With specialized tourism, tourists can enjoy camping and rafting among other leisure sports, which will also bring actual profits to the local villagers.

In the colorful sporting events writes the friendship between the two peoples; while the people-to-people exchanges represented by such events are also subtly transforming their lives.

China and Vietnam are close neighbors and share common cultures. Since ancient times, the two countries have engaged frequently in trade and other exchanges. Such close ties have tightened given their similar histories of struggle and frequent interactions. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Vietnam. In recent years, the connectivity of infrastructure in land, sea, air and cyberspace between the two countries has been improving under the Belt and Road Initiative. New changes in visa policies and the operation of cross-border collaboration zones have spurred a travel boom between the two countries. Cultural activities like the Tianqin performance, a traditional musical instrument of China's Zhuang ethnic group, among other artistic performances have been held every year.

The sporting events in the border regions between China and Vietnam are more of a microcosm of their friendship and open collaboration, in which also resides the wishes of the two peoples to pursue joint development and better lives.

China Mosaic 
http://chinamosaic.china.com.cn/index.htm

Enthusiastic cross-border sporting events exemplify the China-Vietnam friendship
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2025-01/17/content_117670702.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn