The upgraded Fitness Square of Hunan Martyrs Park has been put into use recently, blending with beautiful lake views and lush greenery. "The equipment is new and complete, surrounded by green trees and fresh air—it's truly a great place for exercise," the residents said.

Since the beginning of this year, Changsha has been advancing the "Sports Facilities in Parks" program, using green spaces at parks, idle areas under bridges, and pocket parks as carriers to revitalize underutilized spaces such as urban corners, land under bridges, and pocket parks. Tailored measures are taken to address gaps in public sports services, enabling residents to enjoy greenery outside their windows, visit parks next to their doorsteps, and take exercise nearby.

The park under the Puyuan Bridge on the South Second Ring Road in Tianxin District has fully utilized idle space under the bridge, with an optimized layout featuring standard badminton courts, fitness equipment, and rehabilitation facilities. The Zhiji Road Pocket Park in Kaifu District adheres to the principles of being friendly to all ages, convenient for residents, and integrated with the landscape. The park has been equipped with specialized sports areas such as badminton courts, basketball courts, and health trails, while also catering to elderly wellness, parent-child recreation, and youth fun sports. The Shizishan Park in Yuhua District focuses on creating integrated indoor and outdoor sports scenes to build a one-stop public fitness hub.

Changsha has rationally arranged fitness trails, ball game venues, and leisure equipment, upgrading parks from simple sightseeing spaces to complex functions integrating ecological tourism, exercise, and neighborhood interaction. "We leave the best green spaces for the public and bring the nearest sports activities to their doorstep," said Yu Hongqing, director of the Changsha Urban Management Bureau. He introduced that "Sports Facilities in Parks" is one of the ten major programs in this year's "Five Improvements and Five Upgrades" urban management quality improvement campaign. A total of 40 parks across the city have already been selected to create well-distributed and distinctive public fitness destinations, making "park + sports" a standard feature of a happy Changsha.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: hunantoday