Hohhot sees health boom during Spring Festival

Residents in Hohhot play table tennis at a gymnasium during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday. [Photo/hhhtnews]

The fitness industry experienced a boom in Hohhot during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, with sports centers in the city reporting a notable surge in visitors.

Liu Ye, a devoted swimmer, visited a gymnasium with friends every day during the holiday.

“We often eat too much during the Spring Festival. Sports can help us keep fit, and it's also a good way of gathering with friends,” he said.

In the seven-day period, Inner Mongolia Gymnasium welcomed more than 6,000 visitors while Hohhot People's Stadium received over 6,600 visitors.

Officials at the stadium also said that it served close to 9,800 tourists arriving for the holiday. The number of tourists visiting Hohhot's gymnasiums approached 30,000, a record high for the period.

In addition, many people flocked to the city's cage-style soccer pitches for exercise.

“During the holiday, these soccer pitches require an appointment in advance, and most of the soccer pitches in the downtown area are always fully booked,” said Wang Lei, a local resident.

Outdoor sports like mountain climbing and cycling are also popular among local residents.

“More and more people in the city chose to spend their holidays managing their health and this has become a trend,” said a staff member at the Hohhot Sports Bureau.

“Pursuing positive health habits is expected to improve the well-being of all people in the city,” he added.