Guangdong's eighth Ethnic Traditional Sports Games will take place in Zhongshan this November, organizers announced at a press conference in the city on October 9. The event's anthem, emblem and mascots were made public for the first time at the same briefing, according to 中国新闻网.
Roughly 4,000 people are expected to take part, which 中国新闻网 reports would be the largest number of participants in the provincial games' history.
Why it matters
The games are positioned as more than a sporting fixture. Du Guoyi, a deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission, said holding the event is significant because it serves as a way to improve the health of people of all ethnic groups, raise overall fitness and quality of life, and advance the high-quality development of sport, 中国新闻网 reported.
The provincial government has framed the event around themes of unity and progress, with Zhongshan officials describing the preparations as an effort to blend Lingnan culture, the characteristics of the Greater Bay Area and the traditional cultures of the province's ethnic groups.
A competition program of 13 sports and 29 performances
The games are divided into two main parts: competitive events and performance events.
The competitive program covers 13 sports, 中国新闻网 reported: firecracker (huapao), pearl ball, cuqiu, shuttlecock, dragon boat, spinning top, yajia (a tug-of-war-style contest), high-foot racing, plank-shoe racing, ethnic martial arts, ethnic-style wrestling, ethnic fitness exercise, and southern lion dance competition.
The performance side is split into three categories — competitive, acrobatic and comprehensive — and contains 29 items in total.
Anthem, emblem and mascots draw on Lingnan imagery
The anthem is titled "Lingnan Yi Jia Qin," which conveys the idea of the Lingnan region as one family. Its lyrics take in landmarks including the Pearl River, the Qi River and Xiangshan, sketching the area's long cultural line, and weave in recognizable Lingnan symbols such as the kapok flower and the southern lion. The song is meant to depict people of different ethnic groups gathering at the venues, competing side by side and standing together.
The emblem shows a running athlete and incorporates the letters Z and S, a ribbon, the number 8 and traditional ethnic patterns. The 8 stands for the eighth edition of the games. The patterns and the running figure are intended to express the spirit of the event and a forward-driving, striving outlook, while Z and S are the first pinyin letters of "Zhongshan," the host city.
The mascots are named "Nan Yue Shi Bao" and come as a pair: Rongrong and Yueyue. They are based on the Lingnan southern lion. Organizers say the lion's upright, enterprising posture fits the event's themes of unity and progress and represents athletes of all ethnic groups striving together and surpassing their limits. Rongrong, in red, stands for harmony and togetherness among ethnic groups and is tied to the unity theme. Yueyue, in yellow, draws on the idea of athletic leaping and advancement and is linked to progress, symbolizing competitors pushing to be first.
Zhongshan promises a carefully staged event
Wang Mingying, a deputy mayor of Zhongshan, said that since preparations began the city has dug into Lingnan culture, Greater Bay Area characteristics and the best traditional cultures of the province's ethnic groups. She said the opening and closing ceremonies have been refined to create a cultural and sporting occasion that highlights ethnic unity.
Wang added that the city is concentrating on the core competition work, holding to professional standards and putting safety first, and coordinating competition organization with risk control so the games run smoothly and in order.
The event is organized at the provincial level and brings together athletes from across Guangdong. The announcement of the anthem, emblem and mascots marks the shift from planning into the final stretch before the November opening.
What to watch next: whether the full competition schedule and venue details are released ahead of the opening, and whether the roughly 4,000-participant figure is confirmed once delegations are finalized.
