The closing ceremony of the 16th Games of Shanxi Province is held in Shuozhou on Aug 18. [Photo/Shanxi Daily] 

The closing ceremony of the 16th Games of Shanxi Province was held in Shuozhou, one of the two host cities, on Aug 18. 

The organizing committee of the games also announced the recipients of the sportsmanship award and other honors.

At the flag handover ceremony, the mayor of Changzhi, the host city of the 17th Games of Shanxi Province in 2026, received the flag, and a promotional clip of the city was screened.

Sponsored by the Shanxi Provincial Government, and co-organized by the Sport Bureau of Shanxi Province and local authorities in Datong and Shuozhou, this year's games included both competitive and mass sports events. 

Since the start of the first event, snowboarding, in Datong on Feb 8, a total of 830 gold, 780 silver, and 801 bronze medals were awarded. 

Noteworthy achievements include Tian Meng and Hu Shitao breaking records in weightlifting events, as well as Qiao Liyao and Zhang Dawei setting new milestones in the 4 km individual pursuit and 1 km individual time trial, respectively, in track cycling.

In Datong and Shuozhou, the wide-ranging impact of the provincial games is clear to see, with sports becoming an important role for local economic and social development. 

According to Li Runmin, a spokesperson for the Sport Bureau of Shanxi Province, the games saw the explosive growth of certain industries such as accommodation, catering, tourism, and transportation.

Datong has seen a record high daily average of over 19,000 overnight visitors. Famous tourist attractions in both host cities have experienced a continuous increase in visitors, resulting in a substantial growth in tourism revenue.