She says the races she entered before were all on flat terrain at lower altitudes, so this race along a mountainous path was quite challenging.

But she didn't have her eyes set on the prize this time.

"I mainly wanted to enjoy this race and experience the charm of the ethnic cultures of southwestern Guizhou," Kong says.

Kong spent the following days after the race touring the city and found herself becoming addicted to its picturesque landscapes and folk customs.

She says she has gained a deeper understanding of local culture and will recommend southwestern Guizhou to her friends when she gets home.

The half-marathon was an event held in advance of the International Conference of Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports that will take place this Friday and Saturday.

The racecourse passes through scenic areas, urban and rural settings, allowing participants to enjoy sports amid beautiful scenery. Traditional singing, Chinese and Western musical performances and intangible cultural heritage displays were also put on to spice up the runners' experiences.

This is the sixth time that Qianxinan prefecture has staged the grand mountain and outdoor sports event since 2015.

It has encouraged people to tap into the area's karst, waterfall, mountain and grassland resources to develop a wide range of outdoor sports activities, including paragliding, cave exploration, drifting, cycling, kite flying, car rallying and rock climbing.

Many natural spots have been turned into outdoor sports parks with upgraded infrastructure.

The moves have helped fuel culture and tourism, and satisfied the public need for fitness, travel and folk custom experiences.

The Anlong Limestone Resort outdoor sports park has received more than 40,000 traveler visits since it reopened in early July, says Wu Bin, the park's executive director, adding that about 8,000 of those visits were to participate in outdoor sports.

The Wanfenglin scenic area has been crowded with tourists during weekends, benefiting a bright, recently opened cafe with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow customers to see the mountain peaks.

The cafe is surrounded by rapeseed flowers and emanates a pastoral vibe, and is just one of many new experiences and facilities that the scenic spot has introduced over the years to attract travelers.