Beneath the sci-fi silhouette of a “starship battle cruiser,” a sunken plaza has been repurposed into a proper racetrack, where young drivers floor 200cc go-karts in head-to-head sprints. The buzz is real: O’Sai Karting Club has just landed in Hangzhou E-Sports Centre, tucked into Shiqiao Street in Gongshu District, and the novelty mash-up of “e-sports plus speed” has already become an instant crowd-puller.

With its flying-saucer-like design, the E-Sports Centre has long been nicknamed the “Starship Battle Cruiser.” But these days, it’s shedding its single-event skin and morphing into a full-fledged sports-and-culture complex.

According to the club’s manager, the go-kart project makes the most of the venue’s world-class facilities to run a dual-track operation: offline, it offers a physical karting circuit perfect for young thrill-seekers and family outings; online, it hosts a digital racing arena where players can race each other across screens. And right next to the track, a sim-racing centre is currently under fit-out, set to feature professional-grade rigs modeled on F1 standards.

Leveraging the lush surroundings of Beijingyuan Eco Park, the Centre’s ancillary offerings are expanding fast. Think crayfish fishing spots, laid-back bars, and live-action CS combat zones. One standout is the Alchemy Bar converted from the former Asian Games media centre, which now serves up coffee, light bites, and drinks in a space that effortlessly handles match-viewing parties, team-building events, and even wedding photo shoots—and it’s packed most nights. The venue operator says the next phase will fill the night-time gap with performance spaces, speciality dining, and music lounges, with an eye to becoming a round-the-clock leisure and cultural landmark.

Behind this wave of commercial reinvention lies the quiet but critical work of the E-Sports Centre Business Community, a service platform run by Shiqiao Street. With more than 30 events and tournaments hosted at the centre each year, the community team provides full-cycle, hands-on support to keep every race and match running without a hitch.

Looking ahead, sources from the Grand Canal Digital Intelligence City and Gongshu District Industrial Investment Group tell us that the district will continue to fine-tune the Centre’s operations, double down on its city-wide e-sports layout, and stick to the formula of “tournaments driving industry, and industry drawing in more tournaments.” The goal? To ignite fresh momentum in the e-sports sector and cement Gongshu’s reputation as a premier e-sports hub nationwide.