On March 12, Ma Rui, Director of the Xi'an Municipal Sports Bureau, announced at a press conference hosted by the Xi'an Municipal Committee Propaganda Department and the Municipal Government Information Office that sports events held in Xi'an during 2025 generated related economic effects totaling 1.3 billion yuan. The press conference, part of a series themed on coordinating the advancement of 'Ten Focuses' to achieve a good start for the '16th Five-Year Plan', detailed progress in building a culturally strong city.
Director Ma Rui reported that over the past year, Xi'an has closely aligned its sports initiatives with public demand, effectively delivering benefits to citizens. By the end of 2025, the city had established 9,053 fitness facilities accessible to the public, including universal fitness trails, multi-functional sports grounds, and community gyms. Throughout the year, the city hosted over 1,000 sporting events and activities, such as community sports meets and the "Dancing in Chang'an" public fitness skills competition. The 2025 Xi'an Community Sports Meet alone attracted direct participation from 800,000 residents and engaged over 3 million people indirectly, making it the most extensive and widely participated public fitness event. Furthermore, 2,314 new social sports instructors were certified, and physical fitness assessments were conducted for 58,901 individuals, with 200,000 citizens directly benefiting from professional fitness guidance.
In 2025, competitive sports in Xi'an achieved breakthroughs in multiple areas, with athletes trained and developed by the city winning 49 gold medals in domestic and international competitions. At the National Games, 129 athletes from Xi'an were selected for the Shaanxi provincial delegation, securing 4 gold, 9 silver, and 9 bronze medals—a historic best performance. Xi'an also successfully hosted several major international events, including the FINA Artistic Swimming World Cup, the FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League, the World Snooker Xi'an Grand Prix, and the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers (Group D), with its event organization and support services receiving widespread recognition.
"The sports industry in Xi'an demonstrated vibrant growth over the past year, with a notable economic ripple effect," Ma Rui stated. "Seventeen large-scale sports service enterprises achieved operating revenue of 317 million yuan, representing a growth rate of 12.8%, exceeding the annual target." In 2025, Xi'an deepened the integration of "sports + culture and tourism," continuously building the "Emotion Fills Chang'an - Travel with the Events" brand. By leveraging premium events like the Xi'an Marathon and collaborating with scenic spots and commercial districts to create unique consumption experiences, sports events throughout the year drove related economic benefits of 1.3 billion yuan.
Additionally, Ma Rui indicated that in 2026, Xi'an will utilize new public fitness venues, such as the Municipal People's Stadium and the Hongqi Railway Park, to focus on hosting key municipal-level mass sports events. These will include the Community Sports Meet, the "Dancing in Chang'an" public fitness skills competition, and the Senior Citizens Sports Fitness Conference. The city also plans to organize various tiered public sports leagues for ball games, winter sports series, and farmers' fun sports games, aiming for no fewer than 500 events annually. The goal is to foster an environment with widespread public participation, ensuring weekly activities, monthly competitions, and accessible fitness opportunities throughout the city.