Cycling makes life happier: Chinese Paralympic cyclist

Chinese Paralympic cyclist Wang Xiaomei believes that cycling has become an important part of her life and has made her life happier.

Having claimed silver in track cycling women's individual pursuit at Tokyo Paralympic Games, Wang is now preparing herself for the Paris Paralympics.

"It's just a few days before we leave for the Paris Paralympics, so I'm going to make the most of every training session before then," said Wang, the youngest member of the Chinese cycling team for the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games.

Born in 2000, Wang was a cerebral palsy patient with a congenital right-sided neurological disorder caused by a lack of oxygen at birth, which caused great difficulties for her at the beginning of her career in 2016.

Due to the stiffness of her right limb, falling was a common occurrence for Wang, but she did not give up and managed to overcome her physical defects with the help of her coach to achieve excellent results at the Tokyo Paralympics and the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou City, East China's Zhejiang Province.

Speaking to reporters before the Paris Paralympics, Wang said her cycling career has brought both physical and mental changes to her, making her happier and more outgoing. "People would notice me because of my physical condition since childhood, and I felt that the right side of my body, especially my right hand, was very ugly, so I always put it in my pocket to hide it from the view of others. It makes me feel inferior. I started my career with the Guangdong provincial para-cycling team in 2016. I was deeply touched by an online comment that said, 'The Olympics selects the peak of human bodies, and the Paralympics selects the most unyielding human souls'. Cycling has brought me a lot and greatly changed me both mentally and physically. It has become a part of my life. This sport will take you to see the world and see great landscapes. It will make you happier and more outgoing," Wang said.

Wang received her cycling suit before her departure for Paris, saying the suit's design will boost her confidence.

"I really like the design of the suit. It has China's national flag on the left, Chinese characters 'zhong guo' on the right, and also a Paralympic logo. This suit will make me more confident," Wang said.

The Chinese Paralympic delegation on August 21 departed for Paris to participate in the 2024 Paralympic Games, which will kick off on Aug. 28.

The delegation, consisting of 516 members, includes 284 athletes, will compete in 19 sports across 302 events.

Cycling is the third largest source of gold medals at the Paralympic Games, trailing only athletics and swimming. Eight athletes from China's para-cycling team will compete for a total of 22 gold medals in Paris.

Cycling makes life happier: Chinese Paralympic cyclist

Various celebrations are being staged across China in anticipation of the fast-approaching New Year's Day and the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, or Spring Festival, boosting the market for related goods as more revelers get into the festive spirit.

In Beijing, more than 1,000 lanterns themed around fashion and technology are offering a colorful display in the city's Wenyuhe Park, making it one of the largest lantern festivals in the city this year.

In Shanghai, business districts have launched a series of themed decorations, exhibitions, performances, and interactive activities. Local authorities have also distributed consumption coupons, further stimulating consumer spending during the New Year's Day holiday, which falls on Wednesday.

In the nearby city of Hangzhou in the eastern Zhejiang Province, several promotional activities have been introduced to boost consumption. Additionally, business areas and shopping streets have been upgraded to meet the consumer demand for high-quality goods.

Special Spring Festival fairs have also been set up across the country as Chinese people gear up for their largest annual celebration around the Chinese New Year, which lands at the end of January in 2025.

In Huaiyuan County of east China's Anhui Province, a local fair is attracting visitors with a variety of well-known agricultural products. In Zhangzhou City of the coastal Fujian Province, a one-stop feature fair allows both visitors and locals to purchase a wide range of items.

Meanwhile, in northeast China's Jilin Province, local authorities in the city of Ji'an have sought to take advantage of the snowy conditions by integrating winter sports, offering visitors the chance to enjoy a range of snow and ice activities while shopping for Spring Festival goods.

Additionally, flowers are in high demand at many marketplaces across China as more people look to prepare some floral decorations as part of the celebrations.

In Kunming of southwest China's Yunnan Province, a special flower street featuring Chinese New Year flowers has been set up, where over 15,000 flowers are available, including more than 120 varieties of orchids.

Local flower markets area also in full bloom in various other places, from the northern cities of Shijiazhuang and Taiyuan to Hetian in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, all offering a wide variety of creative and unique flowers, which have been well received by residents.

New Year celebrations help boost market for festive goods