'Golden Week' for sports lovers in China

Sporting events act as bridges for cultural, economic and technological exchange between cities, countries and regions

BEIJING — While the Forbidden City and Great Wall remain Beijing's iconic attractions, the capital's National Tennis Center and Shougang Park emerged as new hotspots for sports fans during China's weeklong National Day holiday, also known as "Golden Week", which began on Oct 1.

On the western side of Chang'an Avenue, Beijing's main thoroughfare, Shougang Park, hosted the World Table Tennis China Smash, the largest international table tennis event held in China's capital since the 1961 World Championships.

Meanwhile, in the northern part of the city, along the Beijing Central Axis — which was recently included in the UNESCO World Heritage List — the China Open was staged at the National Tennis Center.