The broad expanse of Nanming Lake in Lishui city provides the perfect place to stage exciting water sports events, including national contests. [Photo/CFP]

Athletes compete in the National Kayak Autumn Championship in Lishui on Dec 11. [Photo/CFP]

The National Kayak Autumn Championship kicked off in Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province on Dec 9. The four-day event attracted nearly 500 top-level athletes from 22 national, provincial and municipal teams.

The competition was the annual highest-level kayaking event hosted by the Chinese Canoe Association and it was also an important means to test the training and national team's preparations for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

At the opening ceremony for the event, the Chinese Canoe Association and the Lishui municipal government signed a strategic cooperation agreement, so that the National Kayak Autumn Championship will be held in Lishui for the next five consecutive years.

"The association will fully support Lishui to build a 'water sports paradise'," said Liu Aijie, chairman of the Chinese Canoe Association.