The 2025-2026 National Ski Orienteering Challenge concluded in Fenglin County, Yichun City of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Sunday, with 23 teams from nine provinces and municipalities across China competing on snow-covered tracks against beautiful scenery.
The competition featured three events of short-distance hiking orienteering, 100-meter ski orienteering, and short-distance ski orienteering, involving over 1,000 participants, divided into ten groups, including youth and adult groups.
In order to balance the competitive needs of professional players with the enthusiasm of ice and snow sports lovers, the race course was carefully selected in the primeval red pine forest, integrating the checkpoints with the picturesque scenery of the Lesser Khingan Mountains.
"The course design combines fun and challenge. It's fun because it incorporates many local folk features, and I think the challenge comes from the snow field, which is quite different from traditional orienteering on flat ground," said Tong Xuelin, a contestant.
Apart from the competition, players and visitors can also enjoy food fairs, performances, and scenic areas to fully experience the unique charm of the place in winter.
National Ski Orienteering Challenge concludes in Heilongjiang
Shanghai is improving its business environment starting from the neighborhood level to ensure the precision of the city management.
This footpath along the Suzhou Creek is a popular spot for leisure and exercise in the city.
Many visitors of the Fotografiska Museum like to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the outdoor vibe. But in fact, putting chairs outdoors is not a simple matter for the store itself.
When this gallery opened in 2023, it wanted to set up an outdoor seating area.
"We are located by the road and along the creek, so there are many joggers, sports enthusiasts, and tourists passing by. We need to consider how to balance our operations with the flow of people through the area,” said Crystal Cao, guest experience manager of the gallery.
The problem was quickly solved with the help of a "business environment specialist" in the neighborhood.
In Shanghai's North Station neighborhood, 12 specialists each oversee 30 to 40 local companies, ensuring that their requests are addressed promptly.
"My job is to communicate with enterprises and know their needs. If they have requests, we help solve them," said Sun Danyan, a business environment specialist of Shanghai North Station Neighborhood.
The gallery shared its plans with the specialist, who then reported them to the neighborhood office. The office coordinates with district-level departments, such as landscaping and city appearance bureaus, to design the outdoor area.
Without such specialists, companies, especially smaller ones, would have to navigate multiple departments on their own, which can be challenging.
"Small companies often have limited access to resources and information. They need our neighborhood office to provide support and help them access the resources they require," said Sang Zhenxiao, office director of Shanghai North Station Neighborhood.
Private enterprises account for more than 90 percent of Shanghai's businesses and are a key pillar of the city's economy.
Xu Jiao, deputy director of the Development and Reform Commission in Shanghai's Jing'an District, said the business environment is designed to support not only large or foreign firms, but also small local companies.
"The neighborhood is the closest to the companies and the last kilometer in the business environment. So, we use the ‘neighborhood serving as whistle blower to urge departments to report for duty’ to make our job more efficient. Any problems companies meet can be reported to the higher level via this mechanism," he said.
On the first workday of 2026, Shanghai launched its ninth version of the action plan to accelerate the development of a world-class business environment. The plan prioritizes government service efficiency as its first chapter.
Building a world-class business environment is also highlighted in the recommendation for China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), signaling a clear commitment to supporting enterprises, especially small and private companies.
Shanghai improves business environment starting from neighborhood level
