The just-concluded FISE World Series Shanghai held from Thursday to Sunday in the eastern Chinese metropolis featured a new design of skatepark, helping the over 700 athletes from across the world compete more freely.
This year's six major competition events included BMX (Bike Motocross) freestyle, aggressive inline skating, scootering, skateboarding, breaking, and the newly added sport climbing.
"There are more international athletes this year and their professional levels have been improving. I will be more trilled and more excited to compete against them," said Liu Haoran, a Chinese BMX Freestyle athlete.
Some international athletes said they are happy to see increasing popularity of extreme sports among Chinese.
"It's awesome to see the progression level of the sport in the last couple of years. It's awesome for me to see, and I'd like to see the progression of the sport, and one of my favorite things about coming to China is just to see the new level and the next generation," said Hannah Roberts, a USA BMX Freestyle athlete.
The designer of the event's skateparks said he put special thoughts on designing the shapes and the angles of the skateparks to help athletes unlock their potential and provide better view for the audience.
"I look forward to creating something different every year and this year we've chosen a more modern style to better cater to the younger generation. For instance, we've added a wave-shaped surface onto the skatepark, which we can't do in France, to maintain freedom in maneuverability for each event," said Pascal Morasse-Raymond, skatepark designer at the FISE World Series Shanghai.
Int'l extreme sports event in Shanghai features new skatepark design
As a charming plush sheep doll has gone viral on Chinese short-video platforms in recent weeks, merchants in Yiwu are busy meeting surging demand thanks to the city's highly integrated and flexible supply chain.
The handcrafted sheep dolls, dressed in colorful attire, have been a must-buy souvenir in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
While the toy draws inspiration from Xinjiang, it is officially authorized and mass-produced in Yiwu City, east China's Zhejiang Province, China's renowned small commodities hub.
The doll's explosive popularity has not only boosted sales of the plush toys themselves but has also driven strong demand for related accessories such as shoes, hats, and gemstone pendants.
In recent days, the toy section of Yiwu International Trade City has been bustling with buyers from across China and abroad rushing to secure bulk orders.
"[Domestic] buyers from Xinjiang came, and yesterday we even had buyers from Kazakhstan. They wanted to buy this sheep doll, with orders starting from 10,000 pieces," said Lou Zhenxian, a shop owner.
To keep up with the surging demand, merchants have been busy decorating and finishing dolls on the spot.
"We make one and sell one. I've been so busy my hands feel like they're about to catch fire," said Zhou Jiahuan, a shop assistant.
Gu Huijie, an accessories seller, quickly spotted the trend and immediately mobilized her team to produce matching accessory sets for the viral doll.
"Our design, production, and operations departments held a meeting. As soon as we decided to make this product, we started sourcing materials and working on designs and patterns throughout the night," said Gu Huijie, a shop owner.
Yiwu plush toy makers capitalize on viral 'Xinjiang sheep' doll craze
