Belilun Shanhai Sports Town offers a large variety of sports such as car racing, sailing, beach football and beach volleyball.  Photo/WeChat account: nbfb0574]

Two towns in Ningbo were recently listed as candidates to become Zhejiang provincial leisure & sports towns.

The move comes as part of the province's efforts to build itself into an internationally renowned leisure and sports destination.

The province will strive to foster more than 20 provincial leisure and sports towns by 2025. 

Longguan town 

Situated at the foot of Siming Mountain in Haishu district, Longguan town covers an area of 73 square kilometers and has a forest coverage rate of 86 percent. 

The town has recently won numerous national laurels for its beautiful environment and has developed plenty of parks offering outdoor sports. 

Belilun Shanhai Sports Town 

Situated in eastern Beilun district, the town offers a variety of sports such as car racing, sailing, beach football and beach volleyball. 

The town is also developing sports more accessible to the general public such as sea fishing.

In addition to the two newly added towns, Huchen town in Ninghai county was among the first towns to make the list.

The town has hosted the China Outdoor Sports Festival eight years in a row. 

It houses a large number of homestays and five outdoor sports bases for gliding, rock climbing, cycling, canoeing and camping.

The town aims to become a first-class rural resort and leisure destination in the Yangtze River Delta region.