Shandong province will build 73 sports parks by 2025 to encourage people to participate in physical exercise near their homes, said Shandong officials.

Soccer pitches in Baisha Bay in Qingdao's Chengyang district are designed to help promote greater sports education in the area. [Photo provided to China Daily]

According to a news conference held on Dec 20 by the Information Office of the Shandong Provincial People's Government, Shandong will launch a slew of measures to boost personal and community development in popular and elite sports, as the province is set to grow into a "sports powerhouse in 2035".

Greater efforts will be made to improve and build public sports facilities in residential areas to meet the fitness needs of children, teenagers and middle-aged and elderly people.

According to Shandong officials, new sports parks will be built in urban villages and old urban areas. Existing urban parks can be transformed into sports parks, while priority will be given to the layout and construction of sports parks in new urban and suburban towns.

The newly built sports park invested in by the government is free to the public and features fitness paths and greenway running tracks. Sports enterprises will be encouraged to operate at a low profit in accordance with the law in areas for football, basketball, volleyball, ice and snow, water and other sports events.