HONG KONG, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The 2023 China Mermaid Open Championship Atlantis Station and International Mermaid Contest officially got underway at Atlantis Sanya today. The tournament is organized by the Water Sports Administrative Center of the General Administration of Sports of China, the Chinese Water Skiing, Diving and Motorboat Sports Federation, the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, the People’s Government of Sanya City, and Fosun Tourism Group, hosted by the Sanya Tourism Development Bureau and Atlantis Sanya and supported by the Sanya Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports.

The championship is to be held by the Water Sports Administrative Center of the General Administration of Sports of China following its earlier successful hosting of six China Mermaid Open championships. These previous tournaments brought together professional judges and athletes from across China and captured the hearts of the public with their distractive visual displays.

Now in its third year of hosting the China Mermaid Open Championship, Atlantis Sanya has witnessed the growth of Mermaid Sports. This year, more than 60 professional mermaid divers from many countries and regions — including China, the United States, Germany, etc.— have arrived in Sanya for the championship, marking the first attempt to hold a professional mermaid championship globally. The hosting of the tournament at Atlantis Sanya will also help to support Atlantis Sanya’s international image, not only by bolstering its offerings as a premium integrated entertainment resort destination but also by its role in promoting the global development of professional mermaid diving.

On the morning of September 19, Yang Xinli, Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports announced the official commencement of the 2023 China Mermaid Open Championship Atlantis Station and International Mermaid Contest.

The Atlantis Sanya station of the championship will take place in the resort’s Ambassador Lagoon. Fitted with a transparent acrylic viewing curtain wall measuring 16.5 meters long and 8.3 meters high, the Ambassador Lagoon has a capacity of 13,500 tons of seawater and meets the standards set by the National Mermaid Championship Manual.

Competing athletes will consist of winners from previous China Mermaid Open championships who will compete across a series of preliminary and elimination rounds. As per the National Mermaid Championship Manual, both preliminary and elimination rounds will consist of two pre-specified dives and skills that must be displayed in succession. Among the skills to be tested are the duck dive, freestyle swimming, backstroke, back dive, side stroke swimming, and 360-degree spins. During the third dive and the finals, contestants are free to perform their own routines.

“As a consecutive session host of professional mermaid diving championships, Atlantis Sanya is honored to be hosting the 2023 China Mermaid Open Championship and extremely grateful for the trust and support shown to us by the Water Sports Administrative Center of General Administration of Sports of China. Mermaid diving is a fascinating sport filled with mystery: not only is it a professional-level sporting championship, it is also a visual spectacle that expertly integrates natural beauty with performance art, making it the perfect match for Atlantis Sanya. In the future, we will continue to utilize its own destination scenario advantages to promote the integration of culture and physical, and to assist in the high-quality development of China’s culture and tourism industry.” said Cao Minglong, President of Fosun Tourism Group.  

Liu Qing, Minister of Department III of the Water Sports Administrative Center of General Administration of Sports of China said: “From the first China Mermaid Open Championship in 2021, to two championships in 2022, and five championships set to take place this year, the China Mermaid Open has become an increasingly established championship in the world of professional mermaid and aquatic sports. Not only has it become a recognized event in China, but it has also further influenced and supported the development of professional mermaid projects worldwide.”

Prior to the 2023 China Mermaid Open, Atlantis Sanya previously hosted the first China Mermaid Performance Championship in 2021 and the Sanya Round of the 2022 China Mermaid Open. In April 2021, Atlantis Sanya was also the setting of a successful Guinness World Record attempt for the largest underwater mermaid show, during which 110 mermaid performers simultaneously took part in a large-scale mermaid performance at the Ambassador Lagoon.

Over the past three years, Atlantis Sanya has formed a close association with mermaid diving and the Ambassador Lagoon has become a popular professional venue for diving fans. Through the Atlantis Sanya Dive Club, the resort has also introduced a series of diving experiences suitable for guests of all ages. These include one-stop diving experiences and professional training offered across ten different diving courses, including scuba diving, free diving, and mermaid diving. Further to the Ambassador Lagoon, the resort features additional diving locations and instruction pools such as Dolphin Cay and the Shark Pool that offer divers of different levels the chance to experience different diving environments.

Through the continued development of its products and services and its collaboration with external partners, Atlantis Sanya has made significant contributions to the water sports and tourism industry. With visa-free travel to Hainan now available for 59 different nationalities, Atlantis Sanya is well-positioned to benefit from the increase in international travel to the island. Going forward, Atlantis Sanya will continue to lead the development of the market and build its international image as a premium integrated entertainment resort destination.

SOURCE Fosun