Chengdu City in southwest China's Sichuan Province is transforming the once-overlooked spaces beneath urban overpasses into vibrant hubs for fitness and social activity.
The creation helps address issues like the lack of greenery and haphazard parking in idle spaces.
Residents really appreciate the freedom from the confinement and stuffiness of indoor spaces.
"Thanks to sports parks like this, regardless of whether it's rainy, cloudy or sunny, we can engage in sports activities without any hindrance from the weather, as this place provides both shade and shelter," said a local resident.
Driven by Chengdu's recent successes of international events such as the Universiade to the World Games, the city's sports and exercise venues have grown increasingly diverse, while supporting facilities continue to be upgraded to meet the ever-rising demands of sports enthusiasts.
"Once a run-down patch beneath the bridge, the area used to draw loiterers and pose safety risks. In the three years since we took over, it has become a vibrant public space generating roughly 400,000 yuan in annual revenue. We have woven together a rich mix of experiences: young people shooting hoops on the basketball courts, their grandparents sipping tea nearby, while music classes, bird-and-flower markets and other offerings fill the grounds with life," said Liu Yujie, general manager of T-Cube Basketball Park.
"There is a community operating here, so you can enjoy some services like food and beverages that we cannot enjoy in other ordinary outdoor courts," said a local resident.
Chengdu's sports infrastructure is rapidly improving.
At the end of 2024, Chengdu has transformed 848 idle spaces into community sports corners: many of them located under bridges, along streets, riverbanks, rooftops and more, bringing sports facilities right to the doorsteps of the city's people, providing a more welcoming and diverse sports experience for everyone.
Chengdu transforms unused urban spaces into community sports corners
The disciplinary body of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has called for reinforced anti-corruption efforts during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
The call was made in a communique adopted at the fifth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), held from Monday to Wednesday in Beijing.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the session and delivered an important speech.
The plenary session reviewed the discipline inspection and supervision work during 2025 and assigned tasks for 2026. It adopted a work report delivered by Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CCDI, on behalf of the Standing Committee of the CCDI.
The session unanimously agreed to take guidance from Xi's important speech, persistently strengthen political oversight, and remain steadfast in improving conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption.
It was noted at the session that in 2025, the top disciplinary body investigated, punished, and publicly exposed typical cases of discipline violations, to further promote improved work conduct and foster new practices across the Party.
Efforts were intensified to address corruption in key sectors such as finance, state-owned enterprises, energy, firefighting, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, higher education, and sports.
Campaigns were deepened to tackle misconduct and corruption that occurred at people's doorsteps. Reform of the discipline inspection and supervision system was also advanced in greater depth.
The session stressed that as China advances into the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the CPC faces fresh imperatives in advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance and must take more forceful and effective measures to eradicate the breeding ground and conditions for corruption.
The session emphasized the necessity of strengthening political oversight to support the achievement of the period's objectives and tasks. It called for taking strict actions against behavior in disregard of the rules, opportunism, sectarianism, a silo mentality, and unprincipled nice-guyism.
The session also urged improving long-term mechanisms to refine codes of conduct, while ramping up efforts to combat corruption in high-priority sectors. It further mandated tough scrutiny and punishment for collusion between officials and businessmen.
In addition, the session demanded more standardized and law-based discipline inspection and supervision work.
Party and state leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the session.
CPC calls for reinforced anti-corruption efforts during 15th Five-Year Plan period
