Quang Ninh builds sports destination brand associated with heritage

Having successfully organized a series of mass and professional sports events on a national and international scale, Quang Ninh province is striving to become a sports tourism destination, associated with promoting the value and promoting heritage in the area.

Welcoming the beautiful sunrise on Yen Trung Lake or Thanh Dang Mountain, running through the core of Yen Tu National Forest, crossing streams and waterfalls, admiring Dong Pagoda on the mountain top or immersing in the sacred space of the pagodas... these are unforgettable impressions for the athletes participating in Yen Tu Ultra Trail 2025 - the first trail running competition held in Yen Tu Ward ( Quang Ninh Province).

Athletes both participated in the race and enjoyed the cool stream under the canopy of Yen Tu forest.

With the theme " Discovering heritage, spreading the quintessence", the race attracted the participation of many athletes from many provinces and cities across the country and also from India, Japan, Taiwan (China), England, America... Athlete Thomas Quirk (UK) shared: "The scenery here is amazing. I was very surprised because before starting I didn't know what I would experience. The mountains, forests, and the lake that we ran around from the beginning, the higher we went, the more spectacular it was, it was really beautiful".

Meanwhile, Mr. Cao Le Khoi Nguyen (HCMC) loves the unique competition format of "finding Bodhi leaves" to calculate achievements on the journey of "retrieving the Buddhist scriptures", making the race not simply a race, conquering the challenging terrain but also a journey to explore and raise awareness of preserving cultural, historical and natural values. "I am very impressed with the landscape and beauty of Yen Tu, so when I saw the announcement of a race here, I was very excited. The landscape here is very well preserved, bringing many values ​​to each participant".

Running and mountain climbing races at Yen Tu all impress participants with its natural scenery and sacred pagoda and tower space.

In addition to the trail running competition, Yen Tu is also the place where marathons and mountain climbing competitions take place, becoming an annual destination in the fall and winter - when the natural scenery and cultural heritages are somewhat more peaceful and quiet than in the peak season. Along with Yen Tu, many other destinations in Quang Ninh have become familiar addresses for sports competitions, especially marathons in Ha Long; triathlon and duathlon competitions in Ha Long, Van Don; golf competitions in Tuan Chau...

Being a destination of heritages such as Ha Long Bay, Yen Tu complex and historical and cultural relics; plus the advantage of synchronous traffic, convenient infrastructure helps Quang Ninh have the conditions to organize cultural and sports events associated with tourism on a scale of up to tens of thousands of people. Modern cultural and sports institutions are gradually invested and completed such as Cam Pha Stadium; the cluster of works of the Planning Palace, fairs and exhibitions, the provincial museum - library, 30/10 square; Sports complex and 5,000-seat gymnasium...

Halong Heritage Marathon has a beautiful running route, having been organized for 10 years (Source: Halong Heritage Marathon)

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ninh province said that the unit will continue to advise the province to supplement appropriate mechanisms to promote socialization, attract the participation of businesses inside and outside the province, and create many attractive sports tourism products.

"In the future orientation, based on the strength of beautiful roads and beaches, Quang Ninh will continue to promote its advantages, first of all in sports such as triathlon swimming, marathon, cycling, sea sports, and water sports. Thereby increasing many cultural and sports products for tourists, especially sports lovers, to come to Quang Ninh and remember Quang Ninh as a destination for international cultural and sports events," said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung.

Quang Ninh province has coordinated to host many large-scale sporting events, not only thanks to its natural advantages but also because of its qualified facilities.

Quang Ninh has successfully organized a series of regional and international sporting events. Notably, it hosted 7 events in the 31st SEA Games (2022), the National Sports Congress (2022), the International Circus Festival, the Asian Police Taekwondo Championship (2024). In February 2024, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - Leg 5 also chose Ha Long as its destination. Most recently, the 11th International Yoga Day, the GM/IM/FM Quang Ninh International Chess Tournament 2025... These events have attracted a large number of athletes and fans to Quang Ninh, contributing to promoting the sports movement, developing the sports economy as well as promoting the image of Quang Ninh - Vietnam to international friends.

In 2025 alone, Quang Ninh will organize about 170 events and sports activities, attracting about 50,000 athletes to participate in tournaments. From now until the end of the year, there will be the 2025 National U23 Fencing Championship, international women's football exchange... In addition, there will be traditional sports festivals and tournaments at ethnic minority cultural festivals. This is not only a driving force for Quang Ninh to develop its sports economy but also contributes to enhancing the value of heritage associated with tourism development and cultural industry.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/quang-ninh-xay-dung-thuong-hieu-diem-den-the-thao-gan-voi-di-san-20250917140216318.htm