A new international sailing center will be established in Meishan of Ningbo's Beicang district over the next four years. The construction is expected to begin this June.

With a planned area of 870,000 square meters, the sailing center will be located beside Yangsha Mountain. Once completed, the center will house 1,000 berths in addition to seawalls, racing courses and other supporting facilities to form a comprehensive base for training, races, conferences, sightseeing and relaxation.

Along with its existing parks, cultural towns, museums and an autodrome, the sailing center is expected to further boost the development of Meishan's sports and tourism industries, with hopes of also being included as a competition destination for the 2022 Asian Games.

The increasing popularity of sailing may lead to a rise in Ningbo's sports economy, according to Chen Guoqiang, associate professor at Shanghai University of Sport. "Sailing is healthy and environmentally friendly. Relevant industries like manufacturing, convention, tourism and training are likely to develop as well, forming an industrial chain," said Chen.

A sailing association was founded on March 16, gathering members from the yacht manufacturing, leasing, maintenance, training and tourism sectors, to offer guidance for the development of Ningbo's sailing industry.