Dragon Sports Center, on Nov. 9, became the starting point for an unusual urban adventure on Thursday – the 3060 City Low-Carbon Race.

This event, themed “Zero-Carbon Future, Fight for the Planet,” reimagined the classic city-wide treasure hunt with an eco-friendly twist. Instead of cars, the 1,110 participants used subways, buses, and shared bikes to navigate the city. Armed with a special “seed map,” they traveled between green checkpoints, learning about sustainable living through a series of fun, interactive tasks.

A squad of cyclists decked in full cycling gear were particularly standout. The team leader, Ms. Xu, explained they were the city’s Leisure Cycling Team. “So many came to sign up for the event that we had to form three separate groups,” she said. Confident in their plan, she added, “we’ve mapped our route in advance. Our goal is to hit every single checkpoint, safely and completely.”

In contrast, Huang Zhihao and his teammates were more relaxed. Huang, a second-year environmental engineering student at Zhejiang Shuren University, signed up on a whim. “It’s amazing, and it’s right up my alley as an environment major,” he said. Along with three classmates, he planned to tackle the course using a mix of the metro and bike-sharing.

The race featured 10 unique checkpoints, including three mandatory stops: the Wetland Museum, Xiaohe Park, and the Low-Carbon Science Museum. At each location, participants will engage in activities like calculating carbon footprints, upcycling old items, and testing their eco-knowledge in quizzes. They can check in electronically and earned points using a new “Tap and Get” feature on Alipay.

For those who couldn’t join the main event, an online version was also launched on Thursday. Participants can earn rewards by either walking 36,000 steps or cycling 30 kilometers within the activity period.

Lin Yu, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s Education Center, valued the event with a remark - “by completing low-carbon tasks through green travel, participants are bringing the national ‘Dual Carbon’ goals to life.” She confirmed that the race will be expanded to more cities, promoting green living and inviting the public to help build a more beautiful China.