Notes on Fifth Jianzhen International Half-Marathon

In the most beautiful season of the year in Yangzhou， the 5th Jianzhen International Half-Marathon on April 25 drew about 20，000 runners from all parts of the world.

A Fine Occasion of International Exchanges

The monk Jianzhen is a representative figure of Yangzhou， a famous Chinese city in Jiangsu Province. He was an outstanding intellectual of the Tang Dynasty who made five attempts to reach Japan on long voyages across the East China Sea to spread the Chinese culture. He refused to give up despite repeated setbacks including losing his sight on the last voyage and set out for the sixth time and reached Japan after an eventful journey. He is regarded in Japan as the “benefactor of Japanese Culture”， making an important contribution to cultural exchanges between the two countries.

In 2005， Shen Guangwen， a Chinese-born painter residing in Japan came to Yangzhou for a visit. She had long been interested in the exploits of Jianzhen and the idea came into her mind to organize a marathon in Jianzhen’s hometown to promote friendship and commemorate him. Through the joint efforts of the Chinese Athletics Association， the Jiangsu Sport Administration and the People’s Government of Yangzhou， the Jianzhen International Half-Marathon has emerged as a significant regional sports event with ever-growing social influence.

It was launched in 2006， and scheduled to be held every March or April， when the weather would be pleasant for thousands of runners and spectators to enjoy the competition， as well as sightseeing and making friendly contacts in Yangzhou. The event has prospered due to its excellent organization， the large number of participants， mostly ordinary， non- professional runners and its concept of combining competition， health promotion and tourism in a city where modernity is well blended with venerable history.

A Full Display of People-to-people Diplomacy

The course of the race fully exploits the historical connections as it passes by Xianhe Si (Mosque of Immortal Crane)， the ruins of the South Gate， He Garden， the Former Residence of Official Wu， the Tomb of Puhaddin， Dongguan Ancient Ferry， Dawang Temple， Tombs and Ponds of the Han Dynasty， the Relics of Tang City， Song Dynasty Folder City， Slender West Lake， Pingshan Hall， Living Mall， Yangzhou Museum and Yangzhou Block Printing Museum， Yangzhou Sports Park， etc. For the participants， it seems like their every step is taking them through 2，500 years of history of ancient civilization and current cultural prosperity. Some participants said: “Along the way， we have passed through the Tang， Song， Yuan， Ming， Qing dynasties as well as modern China. We would like to come again next year!”

The splendid historical heritage， the creativity of the new era， the exquisite humanistic landscape and the happy city life pleased the runners and guests from all over the world. They felt an affinity with the city， feeling they were in communication with its history and culture， while enjoying the delights of modern sport.

This grand international exchange in sports， with culture as its platform and history its attraction， is an attempt to explore further ways of promoting people-to-people diplomacy. It plays the role of radiating， inspiring and promoting friendship among peoples.

An Event with Wide Participation

This year’s marathon had the widest range of participation， growing from a few thousand runners from several countries in the first year to 20，000 competitors from 37 countries in 2010. The ratio of the number of foreign runners to local participants was 7: 3， a rare occurrence. More than 100 colleges and universities in China and other countries sent teams. Domestic professional marathon runners were enthusiastic to take part in the event， while there were 60 high-level international professional runners.

During the race， hundreds of international athletes gave an eye-catching show. “Cheers! Cheers!” a lot of local spectators called out in English to encourage them. A Spanish and a Swiss runner， who had got to know Yangzhou through the World Canal City Expo， felt exhausted when they arrived at Dongguan Ancient Ferry， yet finally made it to the finishing line inspired by the cheering along all the way. “I’ve been told the unbelievable story of Jianzhen’s travel to Japan. His perseverance and never-give-up spirit will always push me forward，” said the Spaniard.

The citizens of Yangzhou not only warmly encouraged the participants， but also joined the race themselves—old and young， calm and high-spirited runners from all walks of life enjoying being together with athletes from all parts of the world.

The Jianzhen International Half-Marathon which reflects the boundless great love and perseverance of Monk Jianzhen gives people a lively and enthusiastic image of the city of Yangzhou and promotes the friendly exchanges between China and the rest of the world， as well as the quality of living of its citizens. It is an event of people-to-people diplomacy featuring friendship， inspiration and having much influence， a grand gathering for international exchange among all people. This is the impression left in all those involved.