A group of international vloggers recently toured the main venue for the 17th Guangdong Provincial Games ahead of the event's opening in Maoming on August 9.
Located on the coast of western Guangdong, Maoming is renowned as the hometown of lychees in China. In preparation for the Games, the city has built or renovated a number of sports facilities. At the heart of the upgrades is the Maoming Olympic Sports Center, comprising a stadium, an indoor arena, a swimming and diving hall, and other facilities. Designed with the concept of "One Lychee, Two Shells," the complex draws on both the city's lychee culture and its maritime heritage.
The main stadium has a seating capacity of nearly 30,000 spectators and features a natural-grass football pitch and a professional athletics track, enabling it to host events during the Provincial Games as well as national-level competitions in individual sports. Inside, seats in carefully arranged shades of green and red evoke the ripening of a lychee, turning the stands into a visual representation of the fruit's growth.
American vlogger Krishna Marque Buoy was impressed by the venue. "This is my first time ever seeing this stadium," she said. Contrasting it with stadiums she had seen in the United States, which she described as often commercial and steel-heavy, Buoy added, "But this stadium is incredibly beautiful."
The stadium forms part of a broader urban upgrade underway ahead of the Games. Maoming has constructed new sports venues, expanded roads, and enhanced its cityscape to welcome athletes and visitors from across Guangdong and beyond. Many of the improvements are concentrated around the sports complex, where new transport links and pedestrian-friendly routes connect the venue with the rest of the city.
Buoy was also struck by Maoming's modern cityscape. She said much of the city's architecture appeared new and futuristic, qualities she would typically associate with a first-tier city. "When you come here, you feel like you're in the future," she said. For her, Maoming's modern infrastructure and relaxed coastal atmosphere add to the city's appeal as a place to live.
Ukrainian vlogger Alina Ovsiienko also discovered a side of Maoming she had not expected. Before the trip, she knew the city mainly for its lychees. The visit, however, gave her a new impression of Maoming as a city with well-developed infrastructure.
During the trip, Ovsiienko filmed videos about Maoming's sports scene for her social media channels. "I'm really glad to share this not only with my Chinese fans but also with people around the world," she said.
Reporter | Chen Jinxia, Li Yangshi
Script | Chen Jinxia
Video & Poster & Photo | Guo Hongda
Li Zhenjie also contributed to the article.
