Participants compete during the 2025 Chongqing Marathon in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, March 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Eager to break free from the confines of winter, Chinese people are embracing outdoor activities as spring offers seemingly endless opportunities to keep fit and revel in the beauty of nature.

As temperatures edge up, marathons, cycling, fishing and camping have transformed parks and commercial districts into vibrant hubs of activity, igniting a blooming "spring economy."

Enthusiasm for sports 

After finishing a day's work, Wang Wan, a resident of Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, was not in a hurry to head home. Instead, she met up with friends at a sports stadium for a game of Frisbee.

"With the weather warming up, my friends can't wait to exercise. Some have bought sports gear in readiness for outdoor activities, and one friend even signed up for fitness classes to get in shape," said Wang. "I am usually busy with work, but I will not miss a single Frisbee training day."

In the coastal city of Yantai in Shandong Province, over 4,000 sports events are planned for 2025, including a beach volleyball tour, a cycling league, and numerous other events at scenic spots, on the streets, and in commercial districts, to cater to people's rising passion for outdoor exercise and to stimulate the sports-related economy.