First national orienteering gymkhana to be held in Sichuan

By Huang Zhiling and Liu Yuanyou (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-06-25 20:18

The First National Orienteering Gymkhana will be held in Hongya county in Sichuan province from July 11 to August 31.

Organized by the State Sport General Administration, the Orienteering Association of China and the Hongyan county government, the event is aimed at popularizing orienteering in China, said Li Deli, president of the Orienteering Association of China.

Holding maps and compasses, participants of orienteering will try to reach destinations on maps by foot or bicycle, boat, ski, block, wheelchair and car as quickly as possible, he said.

Fifty orienteering teams from different provinces will participate in the gymkhana crossing mountains, lakes, fields, ancient towns, valleys and forests in Hongya.

Hongya, which abounds in beautiful natural scenery and sights of historical importance, will hold its second heatstroke prevention festival during the gymkhana, said Fu Kang, deputy mayor of Meishan which has Hongya under its administration.

With an average annual temperature of less than 17 degrees Centigrade, Hongya will host beer and food festival, mountainside camping and visit to forests.