Built to last

The Chengbei Gymnasium, one of Chengdu's most iconic sports venues, is typical of how the city is utilizing existing facilities. Built in 1973, the gymnasium boasts a floor area of over 20,000 square meters. It will serve as the competition and training venue for wushu (Chinese martial arts) at the World University Games.

The venue was a roofless, open-air stadium in the 1970s, mostly used by locals for playing basketball. Through the years, the gymnasium has undergone several renovations, while it has also staged music concerts and even housed an electronics market in the 1990s.