The ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics has reignited people's interest in the niche sport of climbing, especially kids who are at the perfect age to take up the discipline.
Climb-Up Paris, the largest indoor climbing gym in France located in southern Paris, has seen a surge in young participants drawn to its high-quality facilities.
"It's more practical to learn climbing when you are young. They are much more comfortable with heights than adults. They always find a solution, and to climb up the wall, and get up high despite the fact that they are smaller than us and they couldn't be more scared because they have seen fewer things in life," said Cathy Bremaud, the communications director of the center.
Sport climbing is relatively new to the Olympics, debuting at Tokyo 2020. There are two disciplines in Paris, namely speed-climbing up walls and a combined event of wall-climbing plus bouldering, which is performed on lower walls, without a rope.
The center has seen a significant increase in the number of younger members, with a total of 250 new children signing up in the last year.
"Here that works well because people in Paris are always looking for something different, and so for the young ones, a place like this works very well, and we put in place fun activities for them," said Simon Brusco, the climbing development manager of Climb-Up Paris.
Olympics inspire young Parisians to take up sport climbing
Some shopping malls integrated technology and immersive devices into their buildings during the just-concluded three-day Qingming holiday, providing visitors with brand-new experiences.
Various high-tech and innovative devices, including artificial intelligence (AI), 3D digital images, and VR shows, enhanced visitors' experience and added fun to their holiday life.
In Shanghai, Bingang Commercial Center introduced a variety of immersive entertainment options to transform traditional shopping into a culturally rich and interactive experience.
"Technology empowers culture. We have introduced over 20 different types of entertainments. We hope to create a destination that promotes consumption through the combination of different entertainment types with cultural elements in them," said Wu Jiuying, promotion manager of Shanghai Bingang Commercial Center.
The rise of immersive, tech-enhanced experiences in shopping malls reflects a broader enthusiasm for entertainment during the Qingming holiday.
Beyond in-person attractions, traditional forms of leisure like movie-going also saw a strong resurgence, with cinemas across the country drawing large crowds and generating impressive box office numbers.
China's box office revenue for the three-day Qingming Festival holiday that started on Friday, including pre-sales, had exceeded 370 million yuan (50.8 million U.S. dollars) as of 20:01 on Sunday, according to box office tracker Dengta Data.
The Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, traditionally falls on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox. It is a traditional Chinese festival focusing on paying tribute to the dead and the worship of ancestors. It is also customary to enjoy outdoor activities and sightseeing during the festival.
High-tech-empowered entertainment projects boost consumption during Qingming holiday
