Fighting events, food contests draw crowds to Junan over National Day

Junan county in Linyi drew large crowds over the National Day holiday with a series of events combining sports, food, scenery and culture.

A professional kickboxing championship took place at the Xiyuan scenic area from Oct 1 to 3, bringing together 40 leading professional fighters from across the country. After three days of competition, 16 champion titles were decided. The event, staged inside a scenic area, is part of the county's efforts to integrate culture, tourism and sports, drawing large numbers of younger visitors and boosting night-time and trend-driven consumption.

"Some friends and I came from out of town just to watch the matches. The atmosphere was electric. We toured the scenic area during the day and watched the fights at night — an unbeatable experience," said a student surnamed Zhou.

On the afternoon of Oct 3, the first Shiquanhu Cup fried chicken contest was held, with nearly 100 chefs competing. Contestants demonstrated their skills in ingredient pairing, heat control, stir-frying and seasoning, filling the venue with aromas as visitors queued to taste the results. Many bought packaged chicken to take home or send to relatives and friends elsewhere.

"I work away from home. I happened to be back for the contest — watching the chefs work over high heat, it smelled just like home," said a returning visitor surnamed Wang.

The county said more activities will follow at its scenic spots, alongside a promotion allowing visitors to use event ticket stubs for discounts covering travel, accommodation and dining.

Editor：韩蒙蒙