River trekkers climb a slope in Qingtian county, Lishui. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

More than 130 professional and enthusiastic river trekkers from all over the country gathered in the village of Shanpao, in Qingtian county – administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – on Sept 18

They were there to witness the launch of the first river trekking route of Lishui Shanlu, or the Lishui Mountain Road, a self-drive travel public service platform for the city – and the first county-level river trekking group standard in the country.

River trekking is an adventurous outdoor sport that combines hiking, swimming and other skills. There are more than 40 river trekking routes in Qingtian county, ranking it among the top resources for river trekking in Zhejiang.

"For me, the most surprising part of the whole route is canyoning," said Huang Fangxiang, an enthusiast with five years of experience of the sport.

Huang told reporters that canyoning is a type of mountaineering along a waterfall at a cliff. The new route has a total of eight descending points, of which four landing points have a drop reaching 80 meters, with a total drop of 720 meters.

Top international river trekkers and famous we-media bloggers were also invited to the event, aiming to help create a top river trekking brand and attract more river trekking and canyoning enthusiasts to Lishui city.

Enthusiasts who participated in the event were also awarded the honorary title of "Lishui Mountain Road Promotion Ambassador". The hope is that they help promote outdoor sports in the countryside and help rural revitalization.