The 26th Shandong Province Sports Games opened on Aug 26 with a spectacular ceremony at the main stadium of Linyi Olympic Sports Park. The event marks the first time in the games' 76-year history that the prestigious multi-sport event is being hosted in Linyi.

The opening ceremony highlighted the indomitable Yimeng revolutionary spirit, which was cultivated during China's struggle for liberation in the 1930s and 40s, throughout the evening's performances.

Featuring a dazzling array of cultural performances, the ceremony integrated cutting-edge technologies including naked-eye 3D, drone arrays, and high-altitude aerial rigging to create an immersive audiovisual experience. The performance program, divided into three chapters reflecting the city's past, present, and future, showcased the participation of local students, teachers, grassroots communities, and sports enthusiasts.

Before the ceremony, "Eight Sages of Langya" NPCs appeared on the streets, with historical figures such as Wang Xizhi, the Eastern Jin (317-420) calligrapher known as the Sage of Calligraphy; Zhuge Liang, the Three Kingdoms (220-280) strategist; and Liu Hong, the Eastern Han (25-220) mathematician and astronomer, interacting with visitors, turning historical heritage into vivid contemporary experiences.

The games feature a record-breaking 38 sports and 1,081 events, with 1,620 gold medals — a 19-percent increase compared with the previous edition. More than 13,000 athletes have registered to compete, supported by over 3,000 coaches and officials, making this the largest edition in the games' history. Linyi has fielded its largest-ever contingent of 1,557 athletes.

Leveraging the games, Linyi has launched a cultural tourism campaign featuring eight boutique travel routes, traditional performances, and agricultural product exhibitions, creating a  combination of sports, tourism, heritage, agriculture, and commerce.

The 26th Shandong Province Sports Games open in Linyi on Aug 26, marking a historic first for the revolutionary base area. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]