In 2026, Taiyuan City is set to host 45 high-level branded sports events and 386 mass fitness activities, totaling over 10,000 sessions. This announcement was made on July 29th during the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan — Authoritative Departments on the Opening" series press conference by Zhang Changqing, Deputy Director of the Taiyuan Municipal Sports Bureau.
The year 2026 marks the beginning of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" and is a critical period for the high-quality development of Taiyuan's sports sector. The city has proactively planned ahead, establishing and refining a supporting institutional framework to ensure the implementation of the Taiyuan Sports Development Regulations. Since the latter half of last year, efforts have been underway to draft the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for Sports and Industry Development in Taiyuan." Additionally, the city is pushing to integrate the special plan for sports facilities into the overall national land space plan to secure more land resources for sports development.
According to Zhang Changqing, among the seven city-level branded events, four have already been successfully held: the WTT常规挑战赛太原站2026, the 2026 National Fitness Activity Launch Ceremony, the 2026 China Dragon Boat Open (Shanxi · Taiyuan Station) and Taiyuan Fenhe Dragon Boat Open, and the Central Six Provincial Capital City Go and Football Invitational Tournament. The "Jinxiu Cup" series is currently underway, while other events like the Taiyuan Marathon are being prepared in an orderly manner.
Of the events organized by social forces, 17 have already been completed, including the National Elderly Sports Fitness Conference. Other events, such as the World Snooker Tour China Open, will take place in the second half of the year. For mass participation activities, over 3,500 sessions have been conducted, reaching more than 400,000 people.
Taiyuan is accelerating the construction of the Fudong Street National Fitness Center and advancing the approval process for the Heping South Road National Fitness Center project. The city is focusing on building 100 kilometers of fitness trails, 10 public soccer fields, 10 community fitness centers, 50 "Ping-Pong for All" demonstration sites, and 100 sets of fitness equipment. It is also identifying underutilized urban spaces to expand sports facilities and provide more convenient options for residents.
This year, efforts will be made to expand the team of social sports instructors in communities and schools, aiming for a ratio of 3.6 instructors per 1,000 residents. 2026 is also the final year of the 17th Shanxi Provincial Games, with Taiyuan participating in all 26 major events and 731 individual events. As of July 27, 2026, in the already completed competitive sports events, Taiyuan has won 187 gold medals and scored 3,753 points, ranking first in the province. In the team contribution ranking, it achieved 469 gold medals and 4,221 points, also leading the province. In the mass sports events of the 17th Shanxi Provincial Games, Taiyuan has won 51 gold medals and accumulated 152 points, topping the provincial rankings (data is continuously updated as the games are ongoing).
Furthermore, Taiyuan is actively cultivating new consumption trends like the ice and snow economy. It is collaborating with local ice and snow venues to host free children's skating classes and the "Jinxiu Cup" ice and snow series. Assistance is being provided to the Ice & Snow Vientiane Skating Rink to bid for the 2026 China Figure Skating Club League. Six ski and skating venues, including Caiwei Manor, are participating in the 2025-2026 provincial ice and snow consumption voucher program, generating over 600,000 yuan in spending.
The city is also organizing sports events in scenic spots, commercial districts, and neighborhoods, along with a "Enjoy Exciting Events, Savor Chinese Cuisine" campaign. During events, product exhibitions for local specialties, sports brands, and traditional market fairs are held to effectively convert event-driven foot traffic into consumer spending.
Zhang Changqing stated that the Taiyuan Municipal Sports Bureau will continue to follow the path of building a central sports city in the central region. It will persistently promote the integrated and high-quality development of mass fitness, competitive sports, the sports industry, and sports culture, striving to elevate the city's status as a strong sports hub to a new level.