Her excitement was both palpable and infectious: "It's a really big stadium. If you're here, it's like 'wow'!" said Belgian field hockey player Louise Dewaet.

She was really blown away by the "Hangzhou umbrella"-shaped venue during her first visit to the city — capital of East China's Zhejiang province — for the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024.

Puerto Rican karate star Janessa Fonseca also described her experience at K1 Super League as ideal: "The venue, the installations — everything is optimal for us to be here," she observed.

Hangzhou has increasingly drawn the attention of global sport associations. Over 70,000 fans filled Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium at the third-round FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers game between China and Australia, setting a new national attendance record for soccer engagement.

The city's sport calendar continues to grow. In 2025, Hangzhou will host premier badminton tournament the BWF World Tour Finals and volleyball competition the FIVB Women's Club World Championship —marking the third consecutive year that these world-class events are held in the city.

Olympic badminton champion and 2023 titleholder Viktor Axelsen has repeatedly shown his keen interest in Hangzhou. Last year, he frequently engaged with the city's updates on social media account Hangzhoufeel and expressed his desire to experience its beauty and lifestyle beyond the arena.

Through consistent global outreach — from top-tier tournaments to digital storytelling — Hangzhou is becoming a familiar and admired name among athletes, who increasingly see it as a place of both professional excellence and cultural depth.

Olympic badminton champion Viktor Axelsen shows his keen interest in Hangzhou.

By hosting influential international expos and conferences, Hangzhou is continuing to boost its global visibility. Last year, Hangzhou became the first Chinese city to host the AIPPI World Intellectual Property Congress in the event's 127-year history.

Distinguished Japanese patent attorney Shoichi Okuyama, who is president of the Switzerland-based International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, or AIPPI, noted that Hangzhou boasted a strong industrial foundation and he expressed his confidence that hosting the congress would help local companies enhance their intellectual property protection.

This September, the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo will highlight its international, professional, market-driven focus with a futuristic touch across themed pavilions.

The UAE, this year's guest country of honor, will help spotlight new opportunities in China — in the form of Middle East strategic cooperation.

Meanwhile, the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves will also be held in Hangzhou, with around 3,000 delegates expected to visit the Tianmushan-Qingliangfeng Biosphere Reserve and witness the city's progress in ecological development.

With an expanding calendar of global events, Hangzhou — a rising international hub for major sport competitions and conferences in the post-Asian Games era — is widely said to be stepping confidently onto the world stage.