A soccer match between Jiaxing and Jinhua takes place at Pinghu Sports Center in Jiaxing. [Photo/WeChat account: jxfabu]

Jiaxing in East China's Zhejiang province became a major sports destination from May 9 to 10 as three large-scale sporting events boosted tourism, retail, and local consumption.

The second stop of the 2026 National Athletics Grand Prix opened on May 9 at Jiaxing Sports Center, while the Zhejiang City Football League, known as the "Wuyue Cup," featured a match between Jiaxing and Jinhua at Pinghu Sports Center on May 10. On the same day, the newly launched Zhejiang City Tennis League began at Jiaxing International Tennis Center and Jiaxing Central Park.

Jiaxing has expanded its "watch sports plus tourism" consumer experiences by linking sporting events with restaurants, hotels, scenic areas, and shopping districts. More than 300 businesses across the city offered special discounts for Wuyue Cup ticket holders, including free entry to scenic areas, hotel discounts, and shopping promotions.

The growing enthusiasm for sports has also increased public participation in fitness activities. Tennis courts in Jiaxing reported full bookings on weekends, while sales of sports equipment, athletic clothing, and fitness products continued to rise.

Retail sales of sports and entertainment goods by enterprises above designated size — enterprises with annual revenue of at least 5 million yuan ($736,000) — reached about 44.12 million yuan in the first quarter, up more than 300 percent year-on-year.

Jiaxing has also strengthened the integration of sports, tourism, commerce, and culture through its "ticket economy" model, helping transform short-term event traffic into long-term consumer spending and city-branding opportunities.