Gold medalist Zhang Yuetong competes in the women's bouldering final at the Asian Games on Oct 1. [Photo provided to China Daily]

As the National Day holiday drew to a close, young people took turns tackling a rock climbing wall at a gym in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. Some carefully tested each hold before moving upward, while others dropped back onto the mats and prepared to try again.

For Zhao Yu'an, a young climber at the gym, the appeal lay in the challenge itself — figuring out how to complete a route and sharing the experience with friends.

Earlier in the holiday, thousands of kilometers away, Chinese climbers had faced a very different test at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Zhang Yuetong won the women's bouldering gold medal, while Chu Shouhong claimed the men's speed climbing title with a time of 4.71 seconds.

From street culture, climbing communities and grassroots training spaces to the Asian Games and Olympics, emerging sports such as skateboarding, sport climbing and breaking are reaching wider audiences in China. Major competitions have brought these disciplines greater visibility and helped establish clearer pathways for elite athletes. Their performances, in turn, inspire more young people to take up the sports.

Children try bouldering at a climbing gym in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on July 19. [Photo by Deng Genhou/For China Daily]

Climbing new heights

The results at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games reflect the progress these sports have made, but the challenge now is to turn the attention generated by major events into sustained public participation.

China won two golds, one silver and one bronze in sport climbing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, reflecting progress in a discipline that requires strength, technique, problem-solving and mental control.

For 23-year-old Zhang Yuetong, the path to the top began when she was 4 years old, and her career has not been without setbacks.

In 2019, Zhang fractured three fingers while competing in Toulouse, France. Her father told her that if she decided to quit climbing, she could return to her studies or aim to start a business. "I want to keep climbing," she told him.

After recovering, she made another unconventional decision. Despite having already achieved results in lead climbing, she switched to bouldering, a discipline in which she was not yet among the top competitors.

Cai Luyuan, an international route setter who coached Zhang on the national team, was initially doubtful about the move. But Zhang was firm about her choice. "She simply loved bouldering," Cai said.

While lead climbing challenges athletes to progress as far as possible on a high, roped route, bouldering involves a series of shorter, technically demanding problems completed without ropes above safety mats. Climbers must read the holds, plan their movements and adjust their approach as they go.

Zhang often bypasses conventional routes, however, finding alternative paths that suit her climbing style.

"I had this ability to judge routes from a very young age," she said. "Most of the time, the ideas come to me through feel. When I realize something isn't working as expected, I can quickly come up with another solution."

Her instincts were shaped by years of exposure to different climbing environments. Her father, Zhang Jiandong, took her between climbing gyms in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and Hong Kong, allowing her to experience different climbing routes and styles.

Zhou Yafei started on a climbing wall at her school in Songyang county, Zhejiang province, before going on to compete at the Paris Olympics and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Climbing is also drawing more people beyond the competitive circuit.

Chen Junyi, a climbing gym operator in Guangdong has noticed the change. "In the past, it was always the same small group of familiar faces. Now, wherever I look, I see new climbers," he said.

The trend is reflected in industry data. According to the China Mountaineering Association, China had 811 commercial climbing gyms as of January 2025. Data from lifestyle platform Meituan showed that searches for climbing gyms rose 60 percent year-on-year in 2025, while climbing-related transactions increased by 94 percent.

But attracting newcomers is only the first step. Keeping them involved requires sustained investment in facilities, route setting, safety and coaching.

Chen said China still lacks a fully standardized curriculum for climbing instruction. Coaches come from a range of backgrounds, including retired athletes, university sports students and experienced climbing enthusiasts. Even those with a sports background but no climbing experience may need several years to develop the skills required to coach professionally.

As climbing gains popularity, more grassroots coaches are needed to guide beginners and young climbers, helping first-time visitors develop the skills and confidence to become regular participants and, potentially, competitive athletes.

Gold medalist Zhu Yuanling goes aerial during Women's street skateboarding final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sept 27. [Photo by Zhao Wenyu/China News Service]

Finding new talent

Skateboarding and BMX freestyle are showing how talent scouting across various sports can help China develop athletes in these emerging disciplines.

Teenager Zhu Yuanling began trampoline training at an amateur sports school in Guangning county, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, at the age of 7.

In 2021, she was selected for the national skateboarding training squad during a visit by talent scouts to the area. Her aerial awareness, flexibility and coordination — developed through trampoline — made her a promising candidate, despite having never tried skateboarding.

"Skateboarding has made me more outgoing," Zhu said.

"I used to be shy and afraid to talk to people, but after I started, lots of older boys and girls would play with me."

After skateboarding was added to the Tokyo Olympics' program, China began building a national team in 2017.

But a lack of suitable facilities posed early challenges. Coach Yu Wenhao recalled that the team had to move between cities to train because it lacked a permanent venue.

When she was just 10, Zhu watched 16-year-old Zeng Wenhui reach the women's skateboarding final at the Tokyo Olympics. She later qualified for the Paris Olympics but failed to advance beyond the preliminary round.

"We kept adjusting our training goals and encouraging her to believe in herself," Coach Yu said. "One day, she would stand on the highest podium."

That moment came at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Zhu won the women's street skateboarding gold medal and compatriot Cui Chenxi took bronze. The two had promised before the competition that they would stand on the podium together.

China's gold medalist Sun Sibei competes in women's BMX freestyle park final at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept 27. [Photo/Agencies]

Sun Sibei, the women's BMX freestyle park gold medalist at the Games, also switched sports, moving from wushu martial arts to the two-wheel sport. After failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics, she continued training and went on to win gold in Nagoya.

While Chinese athletes are making progress internationally, access to facilities remains uneven. According to an industry report from the China Sporting Goods Federation, China had more than 1,200 dedicated roller-skating and skateboarding venues by the end of 2024, including more than 200 standard skateboarding facilities.

For young people in smaller cities and county-level towns, access to nearby, suitable venues can determine whether an initial interest develops into regular practice.

Breaking convention

On Oct 3 at the Aichi Sky Expo, all 27 judges' votes across the three rounds of the women's breaking final went to China's Guo Pu, or B-Girl Royal.

The result capped a journey that began when she was a child attending a Spring Festival gala audition in Pingyi county, Shandong province.

Guo was 7 when she went to the audition. After the event, rather than leaving with the other participants, she approached street dance coach Li Shilong to ask about her result. Li noticed her potential and invited her to try breaking.

From a small dance studio in Pingyi, she progressed to the Shandong provincial team and then the national training squad, competing at major domestic and international events. In December 2025, she won the B-girls title at the WDSF (World DanceSport Federation) World Breaking Championships in Kurume, Japan.

Before the final in Nagoya, Guo admitted she was "extremely nervous". The tension gradually eased once the music started.

"Music is what helps me relax," she said. "The music really spoke to me."

Her routines also incorporate elements of traditional Chinese culture, including tai chi, Peking Opera footwork and movements inspired by Chinese calligraphy.

"I've been studying these elements for a long time," she said. "I wanted to incorporate them to show people some of our Chinese martial arts."

For Guo, breaking allows dancers to interpret music and movement in their own ways. "Everyone has a different understanding of dance, but each interpretation is valid," she said.

That emphasis on individual expression is also central to breaking's appeal beyond elite competition. While structured training can improve strength, control and execution, the sport's creative roots remain important to the communities that sustain it.

Grassroots competitions can help preserve that connection. The China Breaking Dance League introduced an under-9 category this year, giving younger participants an opportunity to compete and perform.

Breaking's development, however, cannot be measured by medals and competition results alone. Although the sport will not be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic program, its appeal also lies in music, fashion, social connections and the sense of belonging that participants find in street dance communities.

A skateboard enthusiast navigates a rink wall at a cultural and creative park in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Oct 5. [Photo by An Yuan/China News Service]

View to participate

Social media has become an important route for emerging sports to reach new audiences.

By September 2026, skateboarding-related videos on Douyin had generated approximately 49.6 billion views, while climbing-related content had reached 13.3 billion, according to IMG data. Short videos allow athletes and creators to reach audiences well beyond those who attend competitions.

Ellein Cao, vice-president of rights for Greater China at IMG, said one of the most significant changes in China's sports landscape was the diversification of interests among younger generations.

Alongside traditional favorite sports such as soccer, basketball and table tennis, more young people are embracing sports that reflect their interests and lifestyles.

"Young consumers are increasingly embracing lifestyle-oriented and participation-based sports," Cao said.

Climbing, skateboarding, breaking, 3x3 basketball and BMX freestyle are among the disciplines gaining traction. Platforms such as Douyin, RedNote, WeChat and Bilibili have accelerated their visibility through short videos, tutorials, behind-the-scenes content and livestreams, while fashion and music help connect them with youth culture.

Cao said sustained growth depends on making the first steps into a sport more accessible through facilities, coaching and regular opportunities to participate. "The goal is to create a clear journey from discovering content online to trying the sport and staying engaged," she said.

For businesses and event organizers, the challenge is to connect digital audiences with opportunities to participate, rather than relying on online views as a measure of growth.

Daisuke Fukushima, senior vice-president and managing director of rights for Japan at IMG, said major sporting events should communicate the character of each sport, rather than focus exclusively on competition results.

"What sets many emerging sports apart is their emphasis on personal progression and creativity, rather than winning alone," Fukushima said.

"In skateboarding, breaking and BMX, individual style can matter as much as competitive results," he said.

Fukushima believes that athletes and communities should help shape how these sports are presented, ensuring that event coverage and commercial partnerships reflect the cultures from which the disciplines emerged. This can involve giving local practitioners a role in event activities, showcasing grassroots communities and creating opportunities for spectators to try the sports.

Fukushima said a major event should have an ongoing impact after the competition ends. Stronger grassroots programs, more accessible facilities and increased participation can help ensure that exposure to elite athletes leads to lasting engagement with the sports.