On April 21, the 2024 Xixian New Area (Xixian Group Jinwan Real Estate) Half Marathon arrived as scheduled. Tens of thousands of running enthusiasts gathered at the Kunming Pond in Fengdong New Town, Xixian New District, to run in the birthplace of the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and the naval army of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and feel the ancient charm of this thousand-year-old history together.
When the first rays of the morning sun shine on the Kunming Pond in Fengdong New Town, Xixian New Area, tens of thousands of runners are already eager to try and prepare for this grand half marathon. They come from all over the world, some are veteran marathon runners, some are new runners, but they all share the same enthusiasm and anticipation to leave their mark on this ancient and vibrant land.
As soon as the guns rang out at the beginning of the race, the runners rushed out of the starting line like arrows from the string and galloped along the track by the Kunming pool. The scenery along the way is picturesque, with a sparkling lake on one side and lush woods on the other. The existence of the origin of the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl and the training place of the Han Wu Emperor's naval army has added a heavy historical background to this marathon.
According to historical records, in the third year of Yuanjia (120 B.C.), Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty trained the naval army and dug the Kunming Pond in order to conquer the southwestern countries. On the east and west sides of the pond respectively stand the stone statue of the cowherd and the weaver girl, across the river, there is a sentence in Bangu's "Western Capital Fu": "The pool of Kunming, the left morning glory and the right weaver girl, like the endless cloud and Han." Li Shan's note quoted the cloud of "Han Palace Que Shu": "There are two stone people in Kunming Pond, and the statue of Morning Glory and Weaver Girl. The wonderful legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl has since come to the world from heaven and has been widely spread in the land of China.
And about the training place of the naval army of the Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. According to historical data, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty excavated the Kunming Pond, which was built in imitation of the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, and the main purpose was to train the naval army to attack the Nanyue Kingdom and the Kunming Kingdom, so as to pacify the world's traffic foreign countries. After the Kunming Pool was repaired, it did play a role for the naval army of the Western Han Dynasty, pacifying the south and southwest. At the same time, Kunming Pond also played a role in supplying water sources to the capital, providing aquatic products for the court and citizens, providing scenic leisure places for the Chinese people, and irrigating farmland in times of drought.
According to the staff of the scenic spot, a large number of Tanabata and love themes have been integrated into the planning and construction, showing the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl and the historical and cultural connotation behind the Qixi Festival in an all-round way, so it is called "Tanabata Park". The scenic spot is composed of beautiful scenery with the statue of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Qixi Lake, Queqiao, Pan Crane Terrace, Tiandi Corridor and other landscapes; around the cultural characteristics of Kunming Pool, a series of theme sculptures such as the 26th Wedding Sculpture, Queqiao Immortal, Kunming Stone and so on are set up; Yunhan Commercial Street, tourist service center, children's playground and other supporting facilities integrating Yunhan Bookstore, Cultural Experience Center and Diversified Catering are built.
Now, the runners are running on this track full of history, and they can also see the shadow of history and culture on both sides of Kunming Pool. There are IP character poetry collector interaction, "Voice of the Silk Road" NPC flash mob, Cowherd and Weaver Girl IP puppet interaction, Hanyang Mausoleum cultural and creative book display, and 2 horses cheering for athletes. In front of the statue of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the exclusive "Little Red Book" check-in point allows the contestants to better share their achievements and gains
The unique running route left a deep impression on the runners.
Zhang Shunyi, a runner from Xi'an, said: "I think this race in Kunming Pool is really great. The scenery is picturesque and it feels particularly comfortable to run. Moreover, I was deeply impressed by the historical heritage of Kunming Pool. After the race, I learned that Kunming Pond is a large artificial lake that was expanded during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and has rich historical and cultural connotations. This made me feel the unique charm of this competition even more. ”
Lin Xiuli from Xianyang said: "I think it is a good choice to hold a marathon in Kunming Pool. The history and natural beauty of the area add a unique charm to the competition. I suggest that in the future, we can explore more of the history and culture of Kunming Pool, so that both the contestants and the audience can have a deeper understanding of the cultural connotation here. At the same time, the competition route and facilities can be further optimized, so that the players can better play their strengths. ”
In fact, it's not just the history of Kunming Pool. In the Xixian New Area, the Wei River, Jing River, and Fenghe River have beautiful ecology, and the Taiping site has been selected as an important archaeological discovery in Shaanxi, and the Qinhan Pavilion of the Shaanxi History Museum is the main venue of this year's World Museum Day China event.
After several hours of fierce competition, the exciting award ceremony was finally ushered in. AFTER THE FINAL RACE, DEMILEW ZEMENAY AYANA WON THE WOMEN'S CATEGORY WITH A TIME OF 1 HOUR, 16 MINUTES AND 28 SECONDS, AND WORKU SEMACHW SEWNET WON THE MEN'S CATEGORY WITH A TIME OF 1 HOUR, 5 MINUTES 17 SECONDS. The audience also sent them warm applause and blessings, and applauded their hard work and excellent results.
The 2024 Xixian New Area (Xixian Group Jinwan Real Estate) Half Marathon is not only a sports event, but also a cultural event. Through this competition, people have a deeper understanding of the history, culture and unique charm of Xixian New Area. The beautiful scenery of Kunming Pond, the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and the remains of the naval training place of the Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty all make people full of respect and yearning for this land. With the successful conclusion of the race, the runners also said that the marathon not only made them feel the joy and challenge of sports, but also gave them a deeper understanding and understanding of Xixian New Area. They are looking forward to more events like this in the future, allowing them to make more wonderful memories in this vibrant and charming land.
Looking forward to the future, Xixian New Area will continue to give full play to its own advantages and actively organize various sports events and cultural activities to bring more wonderful and unforgettable experiences to the general public and tourists. At the same time, Xixian New Area will continue to promote the integrated development of sports and cultural industries, injecting new vitality and impetus into the city.