The 2025 Belt and Road International Youth Outdoor Sports Challenge is hosted in Wuxi, Jiangsu. [Photo/General Administration of Sport of China]

The 2025 Belt and Road Youth Outdoor Sports Challenge (Rock Climbing) opened at Sky Square in Liangxi district, Wuxi, Jiangsu, on May 22. The event brought together over a hundred young rock climbing enthusiasts from countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

"This is my first time in Wuxi. I love outdoor sports and hope to achieve a good result in this competition," said Shahnoza, a 19-year-old Uzbek student studying at Jiangsu Health Vocational College in Nanjing.

This is not the first time Sky Square has hosted a Belt and Road Youth Outdoor Sports Challenge. According to event organizers, two more major climbing competitions are scheduled to take place in August. These events are expected to set new records regarding participation and competition level in Wuxi's climbing history.

To accommodate the sport's growing popularity, a new bouldering area is set to be added to the climbing facility. The Sky Square aims to develop into a vibrant lifestyle hub that combines leisure, entertainment, and culture.