Volleyball player Zhao Ruirui (fourth from right) and officials from Hangzhou and Xi'an start the Fun Run on June 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, held a promotional tour for the 19th Asian Games on June 17 in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province. 

The 19th Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou from September 10 to 25, 2022. Twenty-eight Olympic events and nine non-Olympic events will be held during the Games.

The Asian Games Tour of 10 Chinese cities is aimed at expanding the influence of the Hangzhou Asian Games, spreading the spirit of the Games, and promoting fitness and health in China.

Asian Games Talk, the first activity of the promotion tour, was held in Xi'an Jiaotong University where students from the university spoke with officials of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee and some Olympic champions about spreading the spirit of the Games.

Mao Genhong, deputy secretary-general of the HAGOC and deputy secretary general of Hangzhou municipal government, said that the Games is not only a grand sports event, but also a means of diplomacy.  

"We should try our best to make a sports extravaganza with Chinese characteristics and Zhejiang style, so that the world can feel the cultural heritage and innovative vitality of Hangzhou," Mao said.

A poster for the promotion event in Xi'an. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Another activity held in Xi'an Datang Furong Park was the Fun Run, a traditional activity by the Asian Olympic Council to promote the city carrying out the games.

After stops in Shanghai and Xi'an, the 10-city tour will continue in Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Tianjin, Nanjing and Xiamen.

Lu Hongyan contributed to the story.