A canoeing relay was held on Sunday in Hangzhou, the host city of the 19th Asian Games, which will take place from September 10 to 25 in 2022 with the two-year countdown to begin next week.

Five hundred canoeing-lovers set off from the Qiantang River, and carried the relay through the waters of Qiandao Lake, the Xin'an River and Fuchun River. In each part, 19 people played the role of leading navigator, symbolizing the 19th Asian Games. In addition to Hangzhou, the co-host cities of Ningbo, Wenzhou, Jinhua, Shaoxing also staged water sports competitions and other activities.

Two-time Olympic canoeing champion Meng Guanliang, who called on the public to live a green and healthy life at the closing ceremony, said he was "very excited" to be part of such an event. 

"Water sports encourage people to embrace nature. It is particularly meaningful to let more people know about water sports and pay more attention to the Asian Games through this kind of activity," said Meng, who is now head of the Water Sports Management Center of Zhejiang province.

According to Du Zuofeng, deputy director of the Co-Host Cities Department of the organizers, online activities that were launched in July as part of the two-year countdown celebration and encouraged people to upload their exercising record, was a big hit, engaging 310,000 people nationwide with a total of 21.72 million kilometers covered.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover image: Enthusiasts of water sports engage in a canoe relay in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province to celebrate the two-year countdown of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, September 5, 2020. /VCG)