Xiamen leads the way in safeguarding lush mountains, lucid waters
XIAMEN : The 2021 Xiamen Marathon will kick off on April 10 in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, just after being rated a 2021 World Athletics Elite Platinum Label race in late February.
The Xiamen Marathon is a part of Xiamen's green development concepts and environmental protection efforts. It became the first marathon in the world to join the UN Environment's #CleanSeas campaign on Jan 6, 2019, and in November the same year, it became the first marathon in Asia to earn the AIMS Green Award.
As one of the top marathons in China, the Xiamen Marathon's success can be primarily attributed to the city's unique natural environment and the local government's continuous efforts to develop an ecofriendly garden city.
Located on the western side of the Taiwan Straits, Xiamen boasts enchanting natural scenery and a pleasant climate and is a popular tourist destination. The Xiamen Marathon course has been hailed one of the most beautiful marathon courses in the world, with the 42.195-kilometer route passing by the best scenery in the city.
Since the Xiamen Special was first established in 1980, the local government has consistently adhered to the philosophy that "clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." More than 140 gardens and over 80,000 hectares of green area have been built across the city, helping it win numerous honors, including the Habitat Scroll of Honour Award, the title of International Garden City, and the title of National Model City for Environmental Protection.
