XI’AN: After warming up, jogging and stretching, near the banks of Qujiang Pool, a renowned scenic spot in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, Zhao Wenlong uploaded his exercise data to his WeChat moments.
Born in 1988, Zhao has been a regular jogger for nearly 20 years. He even founded a club 10 years ago, drawing thousands of fellow jogging enthusiasts. “People are busy working during the day. Night running is not just an efficient use of time but also a way to rewind after an intense day of work,” he said.
Against the backdrop of Xi’an’s illuminated urban panorama, a growing number of people have turned to nighttime activities across the city’s parks, roadways and riverbanks amid the summer’s heatwave.
Zhao said that in the past, as many as 100 club members ran together near the landmarks like the Daming Palace and Qujiang Pool, but now, the group is divided into small ones with each consisting of three to five joggers. “It’s not because we have fewer joggers, but because our club members have more routes to choose from,” said Zhao. Xi’an is home to about 13 million people, more than 1,000 miniparks and greenery squares, and a greenway exceeding 1,000 km. Many of the parks and squares are equipped with fitness facilities, making them perfect destinations for exercise fans. –Agencies
