YINCHUAN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- As dusk settled over the wild Helan Mountains, Ye Shuai eased off the gas and wound his way down from the off-road Hooke Trail, calling it a day.
Tearing across rugged mountain terrain in his off-road vehicle, Ye spent the day as he had throughout his weeklong summer vacation, braving the blazing sun in the rolling mountains in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, some 1,000 km away from his home in central China.
Ye is among a growing number of young vacationers fueling the popularity of a fresh kind of travel experience that blends sports and fitness with leisure and social interaction -- summed up as "sportcation."
SWEATING OUT SUMMER VACATION
Ye had been planning his mountain adventure for some time. He teamed up with fellow enthusiasts from across the country, shipping their vehicles to the Hooke Park, long before their flights. "It's crazy, but well worth it," he said.
Their venture started each day at 8 a.m. with a drive into the mountains. Challenging rough trails, they repeatedly stopped for repair breaks. By nightfall, they descended from the mountains, exhausted, then headed back to their lodgings beneath a starry sky.
Tucked away in the Helan Mountains, the park boasts 88 off-road trails of varying difficulty, catering to outdoor adventurers seeking thrills behind the wheel, on a motorcycle, bicycle, or even on foot.
Some enthusiasts put the park on a par with renowned off-road destinations such as the Rubicon Trail and Moab in the United States.
The young people are looking for vacation experiences that bring them joy and a sense of fulfillment, instead of merely sightseeing or photo-taking, said Gao Jinsong, founder of Hooke Park.
"Off-road driving is an extreme challenge," Ye said. "It helps me blow off steam from work and just be myself. It's tiring, but it feels great!"
In recent years, marathon tours across the country have also become a popular form of micro-getaway. For Shi Nali, a young woman from Beijing, combining running with travel has opened up a new way to explore a city.
"In the past, vacations were basically about beautiful scenery and good food. Sometimes I found them boring," said Shi.
An avid traveler, Shi became addicted to urban running in 2023, and has since traveled to multiple cities across China just to hit the road -- along the historic city wall in the ancient capital of Xi'an, along the seaside trails of Xiamen, and through the winding alleyways of Chengdu.
"Compared with the cookie-cutter attractions you find everywhere, the scenery and local interactions you encounter along the way feel much more genuine," Shi said.
The growing popularity of sports-themed vacations also boosted consumption. Shi's sports gear stock, from hats, sunglasses and sportswear to knee braces, running shoes and trekking poles, costs her more than 10,000 yuan (about 1,475.2 U.S. dollars).
But she considers the money well spent. "What matters most is the joy and satisfaction it brings me."
TAPPING TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES
The growing popularity of sports-oriented vacations reflects a broader shift in how young people spend their leisure time, driven by greater health awareness, a growing appetite for immersive experiences, and more diverse forms of social interaction, according to industry insiders.
In May, online travel platform LY.com released its 2026 travel trends report on "sportcation," showing a sharp rise in searches and bookings.
Yang Wei, a professional travel planner, said that "sportcation" will go beyond a short-lived fad and become a long-term shift in urban lifestyles.
The rise of "sportcation" also comes as China moves to diversify its tourism offerings and cultivate new growth drivers for the industry.
The latest five-year tourism development plan, approved by the State Council and released in July, calls for nurturing new drivers of tourism growth and enriching the supply of high-quality tourism experiences.
Across China, localities have been quick to tap into the trend and put various "sportcation" opportunities on offer.
Wanning, a surfers' haven in China's southernmost Hainan Province, has emerged as the poster child of the growing trend, with "Traveling to Wanning for sports school" becoming a viral catchphrase on social media.
With its long, surf-friendly coastline, Wanning has become a haven for young people burned out by the grind of big-city office life. They come here not to slow down, but to embrace a different kind of packed schedule -- one filled with sports and workouts.
Some start their day with a run or a gym session, then spend the rest of the day surfing, paddleboarding or rock climbing, joking that they are attending a sports school with a strict daily schedule.
The inland city of Zhongwei, Ningxia, also tapped into its unique landscape of deserts and the Yellow River to attract "sportcationers" eager to combine outdoor workout and sightseeing.
"From dusk into the deep of night, you run on soft sand, with the meandering Yellow River by your side and a brilliant galaxy overhead," an internet user by the name "Xiaoweishi'er" from Gansu Province described her experience after taking part in the 2026 Ningxia-Zhongwei Desert Starry Sky Half Marathon in June. "There's no need to chase speed. Just embrace the wilderness," she added. ■
