More than 3,000 residents and expatriates took part in an urban outdoor orienting game in downtown Shanghai last weekend, sponsored by the global healthcare company Abbott to encourage people to be healthier through walking.
The participants in 600 teams explored the Xuhui District on foot or by public transport to reach different memorable spots via six routes being themed on the city's urban scenery, history, culture and scientific innovation.
"Exploring the beauty of Shanghai, while getting some exercise is a unique and rewarding experience," said Heather Mason, the executive vice president of Abbott's nutrition business. About 250 employees and senior officials with the company along with their relatives took part in the game.
The urban outdoor orienting game will be held in different Chinese cities after the Xuhui stop, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Taian in east Shandong Province, and Wuhan in central Hubei Province. More city authorities across the nation have applied to host the game.
The game encourages citizens to take active part in the walking exercises for better health while exploring the beauty of their cities, according to the Shanghai Mountaineering Association who initially launched the campaign in 2011.
"Abbott has long been committed to improving people's lives through better health, which coincides with the concept of the China Coordinates event," Mason said.
"Health gives us the power to create more possibilities in life. We want to take action and encourage more friends and families to join us and contribute to the health of our communities," she added.
The orienting game in Xuhui is also part of Abbott's campaign themed "Walk for Health and Life," which started on September 11 with the launch of a walking tour along Wukang Road, in partnership with the city's tourism authority.
The participants who applied online to take part in last weekend's free game set off at 9am from Xuhui's riverfront in groups of five and headed for the destination at Caohejing Business Center. The routes included a number of spots featuring the city's history, culture and beauty, such as the famed historic mansion "Ailu" (Love Cottage), the former residence of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling, the Duoyunxuan Art Center, and a camera museum on Wukang Road.
The participants were required to reach these spots mainly by walking, or using the Metro or buses for some sections. They had to complete a mission at each stop to get a pass for the next.
At one of the stops — Hengshan Cinema — the members of each team were asked to write the Chinese characters for "health" with a brush together. At a tennis training center, they had to hit the tennis ball into a loop.
"Abbott designed a series of such games to remind people of the value of health and teamwork," said Mason.
Walking is a simple step that people can take to stay healthy, and walking 30 to 60 minutes every day brings plenty of health benefits and lowers the risk for heart disease and diabetes.
The urban orienting game has lower threshold comparing with city marathon while allows participants to take public transport to finish the game, so that children and expatriates can also take part in the game, the association said.
"By joining the game, I am able to team up with my colleagues and friends to live healthier, while exploring the beauty of life and this city," said Jason Shen, one of the participants.
