The blending of an ancient capital's millennia-old history and culture with the passion of international tennis delivered an unforgettable experience for tennis fans worldwide. The 2025 "ITL Cup" ITF World Tennis Masters Tour MT400 Xi'an captivated great attention as a "sports + culture" gala. The successful hosting of the event left all participants raving about Xi'an's warmhearted services and the charm of its intangible cultural heritage.

Event Upgrade Gains International Recognition

The ITF International Tennis Masters Tour was formerly known as the ITF Seniors Tour. In 2019, the Chinese Tennis Association (CTA) introduced the ITF Seniors Tour domestically for the first time and hosted seven stop events, garnering widespread acclaim from participating players. In August 2022, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) revamped and upgraded the event by launching the ITF International Tennis Masters Tour to engage recreational players (including those at an elite competitive level), encourage people to transcend age barriers, and create an international amateur tennis tournament for tennis enthusiasts worldwide. The Tour now boasts over 35,000 registered players and hosts more than 500 stop events annually across 70 countries and regions.

This upgrade of the event in Xi'an from MT200 to MT400 reflected the recognition of the ITL Tennis Park by the ITF and the CTA in terms of event organization, facilities, and other resources. The event attracted 400 top players from 10 countries and regions, including China, the United States, Portugal, Switzerland, and Russia. The event consisted of seven age categories and 22 individual events. Champions could earn 400 points and share a total prize pool of up to RMB 110,000.

The ITL Tennis Park features a total of 12 professional courts, including two indoor center courts, four indoor standard courts, and six outdoor courts. It is one of the few specialized venues for tennis events and training in Xi'an, offering professional services for various high-standard tennis events and having hosted nearly 100 domestic and international tennis events.

Immersive Service: Players Exclaim, "Feels Like Home!"

To ensure that players fully focused on the competition, the Organizing Committee of the event provided meticulous support in all aspects from the moment the players arrived in Xi'an.

The courts offered cozy tea breaks with desserts and fruits, while the tennis market featured Xi'an specialties like roujiamo(Chinese hamburger) and liangpi(cold rice noodles), letting players savor the city's flavors amid intense competition.

At the Harbour Hotel, guests could enjoy Xi'an's signature snacks, Shaanxi's Fucha Tea, seasonal fruits, and beverages, while trying on Tang suits to experience the ancient city's history, hospitality, and "greetings," truly feeling Chang'an without even leaving the hotel."

At the event venue, several carefully designed, distinctive photography spots became the perfect backdrop for capturing unforgettable moments. Each spot reflected the essence of Xi'an culture, while recording the event's excitement and players' memories of the event.

Professional therapists were on standby to provide muscle relaxation and sports injury treatment services, with athletes praising the atmosphere as "welcoming like home."

Multiple water supply stations within the venue offered sports glucose beverages, mineral water, and others to refresh competitors in high temperatures.

Immersive Experience of Xi'an's Intangible Cultural Heritage Inside and Outside the Venue

The event was deeply intertwined with Xi'an's intangible cultural heritage, which created a visual and cultural feast. At the tennis intangible cultural heritage market thoughtfully created by the Organizing Committee of the event, competitors enjoyed various intangible cultural heritage projects, including roujiamoand Xi'an's culturally creative products. Competitors could also try their hand at making sugar paintings, lacquered fans, and fragrant sachets, and could take them home.

Themed "Prosperous TangDynasty, QualityMutualistic Symbiosis," the welcome dinner for the "ITL Cup" ITF World Tennis Masters Tour MT400 Xi'an blended the cultural heritage of the ancient capital with modern tennis life. A characteristic dance inspired by the Terra-Cotta Warriors made its stunning debut, showcasing the grandeur of a thousand years of history. Classical dances, including the Dance in Celestial Clothing, were performed in succession. Participants remarked that the performances felt like a journey back to ancient Chang'an, which allowed them to experience the charm of Xi'an, the ancient capital, and highlighted the perfect integration of "history with modernity, and competition with life."

Tang Jiajian, husband of Chinese tennis star "Golden Flower" Wang Yafan and known as the "Amateur Tennis King in Dongguan," said: 'Both modern and ancient Xi'an are incredibly attractive!' This event not only represents recognition of Xi'an by international tennis events but also serves as a platform for the city to showcase itself to the world. From the international and professional courts to the meticulous and heartfelt services, the event has created unforgettable memories for every player.

[ITL Tennis Park]

ITL Tennis Park | ITL Sports Business Investment Attraction | Event Promotion Venue Operation | Training for Children | Corporate Team Building Consultation Hotline | +8602983588599 Address | ITL Tennis Park at the southwest corner of the intersection of Gangwu Avenue and Qinhan Avenue at Xi'an Chanba International Port

Tennis is more than a sport—it is a lifestyle! We welcome all tennis enthusiasts to join us at the ITL Tennis Park, where the vibrant game of tennis intertwines with millennia of culture. Come and experience the unique charm of the sport, and create your own stories here!

The ITF World Tennis Masters Tour MT400 Xi'an Tournament 2025 in Shaanxi will take place from May 7 to May 11 at the ITL Sports Park in Xi'an!

The event group is set as: Men's Singles: 35+(16-draw)/40+(16-draw)/45+(16-draw)/50+(16-draw)/55+(16-draw)/60+(16-draw); Women's Singles: 35+(16-draw)/45+(16-draw); Men's Doubles: 45+(16-draw)/50+(16-draw)/55+(32-draw)/60+(32-draw)/65+(32-draw); Women's Doubles: 45+(16-draw)/55+(16-draw)/60+(16-draw); Mixed Doubles: 35+(32-draw)/45+(32-draw)/50+(32-draw)/55+(32-draw)/60+(32-draw)/65+(32-draw)

The level of this event has been raised from MT200 to MT400! This upgrade reflects that the organizer's capabilities in event organization and software and hardware facilities have been recognized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Chinese Tennis Association.

In the first high-level tennis tournament held in Xi'an, Shaanxi, we will welcome more top players from home and abroad. The champion of a single event can get 400 points! To register, please log in to the ITF official website.

As the organizer, ITL Culture and Sports Industry Co., Ltd. will make every effort to optimize the event organization and viewing experience, presenting a wonderful tennis feast for players and spectators!

On January 17, the first carbon neutrality and cross-border e-commerce train with the full-time schedule in China departed at Xi'an International Port Station and headed west to Duisburg, Germany. Xi'an Chanba International Port and DB Cargo have combined carbon neutrality trains with China Railway Express (Xi'an) trains with the full-time schedule, providing a new logistics solution for "Made in China" to go global.

This marks that the cross-border e-commerce logistics plan of Xi'an Chanba International Port has been further broadened. At the same time, it has combined carbon neutrality trains with China Railway Express (Xi'an) full-time schedule trains to further promote the higher quality development of China Railway Express and achieve 100% carbon neutrality throughout the Xi'an-Europe journey.

At 10:45 am that day, Yang Wumin, Deputy Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission, announced the "departureof the China Railway Express (Xi'an) carbon neutrality and cross-border e-commerce train with the full-time schedule."

With a loud whistle, the China Railway Express (Xi'an) train loaded with 55 containers of daily necessities, automotive supplies and other goods departed from Xi'an International Port Station, passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus and Poland. After arriving in Duisburg, Germany, these goods were distributed to the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and other countries. The train traveled about 10,000 kilometers and took about 10 days.

During the event, Frank Schulze, General Manager of DB Cargo China, issued the first carbon credit certificate for green freight to representatives of special train customers. Enterprises can use this certificate to declare annual financial statements of EU enterprises and enjoy corresponding tax exemption policies in various countries based on the credits.

According to reports, 2024 was a key year for the leapfrog development and breakthrough of China Railway Express trains. The China Railway Express (Xi'an) operated 4,985 trains throughout the year, marking a year-on-year increase of 25.1%. On the basis of the high growth in the previous year, it increased by 9.8 percentage points again, and its core indicators continued to lead the country. The new Xi'an-Poti, Georgia route has been opened, and the cross-Caspian train has basically achieved "daily service", with 18 international trunk routes covering the entire Eurasia. The external data interconnection with Harbin Railway was achieved, and it took the lead in realizing customs and railway data interconnection in China. Customs declaration and document preparation can be completed in 5 minutes, and the operating efficiency has increased by more than 1/3. The construction of a cross-border e-commerce pilot zone has highlighted the "train+" agglomeration effect, driving the import and export trade volume to increase by more than 20% year-on-year. In particular, the Xi'an Terminal in Kazakhstan has been completed and put into use, and the construction of overseas logistics stations such as China-Kazakhstan logistics station has been accelerated to achieve a strong upgrade of "hub to hub", making it the "golden channel" for the country to open up to the west.

Yang Bing, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Management Committee of Xi'an Chanba International Port, said:"This train marks the first time that a full-time schedule train has joined hands with a world-renowned cross-border e-commerce enterprise. It will drive the continuous upgrading of cross-border logistics solutions and become a vivid practice of implementing the national 'dual carbon' strategy." Standing at a new starting point and seizing new opportunities, Chanba International Port will focus on the construction of a modern international logistics system, go all out to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and optimize services, promote the integrated development of "train+", better serve regional economic development, the country's opening up to the west, and the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", and contribute more to helping Shaanxi's Xi'an build an inland reform and opening-up highland.

Shao Bo'er,General Manager of Xi'an International Inland Port Multimodal Transportation Co., Ltd., said:"This is the first China Railway Express train in the country to transport goods through a full-time schedule train + low-carbon carbon neutrality train + cross-border e-commerce. The transportation cost is lower, which is about 1/5 of the previous air transportation. At the same time, the train adopts a high-efficiency, integrated, green and low-carbon transportation mode, using green and clean energy throughout the journey to achieve carbon neutrality. This year, the China Railway Express (Xi'an) full-time schedule train plans to apply for adding new transportation stations such as Budapest, Hungary and test the operation of full-time schedule trains cross two seas. At the same time, we have launched multiple products such as green + cold chain + cross-border e-commerce based on the full-time schedule to promote the high-quality development of China Railway Express (Xi'an)."

Frank Schulze, General Manager of DB Cargo China, said: "Both China and Germany are very concerned about carbon neutrality and environmental protection. Now more and more supply chain companies have realized the importance of green and low-carbon transportation. I believe that the departed carbon neutrality train today will attract more customers. Xi'an is an important city of the "Belt and Road" and a very important city in the operation of the China Railway Express train. In the future, we will regard ITL Group as our most important partner for DB Cargo and work together to run more high-quality China Railway Express trains."

Zhu Hongsen, Second-level Inspector of Xi'an Customs, Huang Xulin, Second-level Inspector of Shaanxi Provincial Department of Commerce, Li Qungang, Second-level Inspector of Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Wang Yundong, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Xi'an Chanba International Port, Qu Jinwei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairperson of ITL Group, relevant persons in charge of Xi'an Development and Reform Commission, Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Commerce, China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd. and Xi'an Branch of China Railway Container Transport Co., Ltd. (CRCT), and representatives of enterprises such as Kerry EAS Logistics and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) attended the event.

In the future, Xi'an International Inland Port Multimodal Transportation Co., Ltd. will take the opportunity of the China Railway Express (Xi'an) carbon neutrality and cross-border e-commerce train with the full-time schedule to continue to expand cooperation with major cross-border e-commerce platforms, innovate more service models, and help deepen international economic and trade cooperation. At the same time, we will continue to explore the green and low-carbon development path of China Railway Express trains, adhere to the concept of green and low-carbon, and energy conservation and emission reduction, and contribute to promoting the high-quality development of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road".

On November 18, CCTV Channel 4's [China News] News Watch column focused on the China Railway Express train with the theme "China Railway Express Train Continues to Gain Development Momentum." The report highlighted various modes of transportation of China Railway Express trains with "smooth and efficient multi-directional extension and sea-land interconnection."

Xi'an International Inland Port Multimodal Transportation Co., Ltd. fully developed its automobile logistics business in 2024. Through various modes of transportation such as China Railway Express containers, JSQ (table trolleys), and sea-rail combined transport, the export channels for China-made new energy vehicles are broadened to provide automobile logistics and transportation services. As the number and scale of exports of high-end China-made vehicles increase, Xi'an International Inland Port Multimodal Transportation Co., Ltd. continues to improve its automobile port functions. Through the China Railway Express (Xi'an), new momentum for train routes has been stimulated, and the operation of trains has shown a steady and positive trend.

Since Xi'an Port's automobile port was approved in May 2017, Xi'an International Inland Port Investment & Development Group (ITL Group) has actively cooperated with OEMs to develop the automobile logistics market and reached cooperation with many brands such as Volvo Cars, FAW Audi, BYD, GWM, Geely, JAC Motors, Polestar, Mitsubishi Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen. The total import and export volume of automobiles exceeds 120,000 units, including about 80,000 units for export and about 40,000 units for import. The automobile transportation routes reach Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia and other regions. Through unremitting efforts, ITL Group has helped Xi'an Port become the largest automobile port in inland China.

BYD New Energy Vehicle Export Special Train (JSQ)：On April 21, 2023, a China Railway Express (Xi'an) train loaded with 261 BYD new energy vehicles produced by local enterprises in Shaanxi departed for Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

The First China Railway Express (Chang'an) Train (JSQ) Loaded with Vehicles of Kia Motors Departs：On February 3, 2023, the first China Railway Express (Xi'an) train (JSQ) loaded with vehicles of Kia Motors departed for Russia.

The First China Railway Express (Xi'an) Train Loaded with Geely Vehicles Departs：On January 28, 2023, the first China Railway Express (Xi'an) train loaded with 600 Geely vehicles departed. The China Railway Express (Chang'an) train loaded with Geely vehicles produced locally in Xi'an departed for Moscow.

China Railway Express (Xi'an) Train Loaded with New Energy Vehicles (Volkswagen ID.4) Departs：On October 11, 2022, the China Railway Express (Xi'an) train loaded with new energy vehicles (Volkswagen ID.4) departed smoothly.

smart Automobile Co., Ltd. Starts Strategic Cooperation：On September 29, 2022, the China Railway Express (Xi'an) train loaded with smart #1 of smart Automobile Co., Ltd. departed from Xi'an International Port Station and headed for Europe.

The First China Railway Express (Xi'an) JAC Motors Special Train：On August 31, 2022, the first China Railway Express (Xi'an) JAC Motors special train departed.

The First China Railway Express (Xi'an) BYD Special Train Departs in East and West Directions：On March 5, 2022, the first China Railway Express (Xi'an) train for the BYD project from Xi'an to Budapest, Hungary and the first rail-sea intermodal train for the BYD project from Xi'an to Egypt departed from Xi'an International Port Station in east and west directions.

The First "SHACMAN European Export Special Train" Departs：On September 17, 2020, the first China Railway Express (Xi'an) "SHACMAN European Export Special Train" from Xi'an to Budapest departed from Xi'an. This train was loaded with high-end heavy trucks independently developed by SHACMAN.

The First China Railway Express (Xi'an)Audi Automobile Import Train：On October 15, 2020, following the successful implementation of the Volvo Cars automobile project, the China Railway Express (Xi'an) automobile import train loaded with 82 Audi imported vehicles arrived in Xi'an.

China Railway Express (Xi'an) Volvo Cars Special Train：On June 13, 2018, the China Railway Express train loaded with imported vehicles of Volvo Cars arrived at the Designated Port for Imported Automobiles in Xi'an Port. The inspection of 160 imported vehicles of Volvo Cars was completed, marking the completion of customs procedures for the first batch of automobiles at the Designated Port for Imported Automobiles in Xi'an Port.

It is reported that in February 2023, ITL Group reached a cooperation agreement with BYD to transport new energy vehicles (NEVs) from BYD's domestic factories to Central Asia by means of full-process railway table trolleys, realizing "Made in Shaanxi and Transported by Shaanxi Enterprise", helping local enterprises expand the international market and contributing to the foreign trade of Shaanxi and Xi'an. Up to now, ITL Group has exported nearly 30,000 automobiles (NEVs) for BYD, accounting for 16% of the export volume at the automobile port in Xi'an Port.

In the future, Xi'an International Inland Port Multimodal Transportation Co., Ltd. will provide customers with diversified logistics solutions through the China Railway Express (Xi'an) trains, create a globally influential import and export logistics distribution base for automobiles and parts, further drive the import and export trade and logistics linkage of automobiles and related industries in Shaanxi and even China, and help "Made in China" automobile brands go global.

On September 26, 2024, the tailored China Railway Express (CRE) train from Xi'an to Belgrade embarked on its inaugural journey, marked by the sound of the locomotive's whistle. This train transported construction materials for steel structures produced by local enterprises in Shaanxi. This move was customized by the Xi'an International Inland Port Multimodal Transportation Co., Ltd. (the company for short) according to customer needs, aiming to facilitate the global reach of Shaanxi manufacturing while supporting vital project developments in Serbia.

The cargo will be used in the Clean Serbia project, which represents the largest environmental project contracted by Chinese companies in Serbia. Upon completion, this project is expected to significantly improve the livability of Serbia and address public welfare issues. With the project's construction deadline approaching, traditional maritime transport could not ensure the scheduled delivery of these construction materials. In response, the company swiftly developed a tailored train service for Shaanxi manufacturing enterprises involved in the cooperation. This included urgent scheduling of dedicated freight space, specialized container loading solutions tailored to the goods packing, and close coordination with the logistics center of China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd. to guarantee the safe and smooth dispatch of the cargo.

Serbia stands at the crossroads of Europe in the north-central Balkan Peninsula. It was the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to establish a strategic partnership with China and the first country in Europe to grant Chinese passport holders visa-free entry. Belgrade, the capital, sits at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers and is one of Europe's oldest cities, serving as a vital hub for East-West transport.

As a flagship project and iconic brand of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the CRE has become essential for maintaining stable and efficient international supply chains. Since the regular operation of the Central and Eastern Europe premium route of the CRE (Xi'an), this route has gained significant traction among customers due to its dependable transport timelines, greatly enhancing economic and trade interactions between China and Serbia. The successful launch of the CRE (Xi'an–Belgrade) tailored to Shaanxi manufacturing not only offers precise and diverse services for customers but also benefits more products made in Shaanxi from the BRI, promoting the vision of gathering Shaanxi products for global transportation. Moving forward, with guidance from China State Railway Group and robust support from the Xi'an Chan-Ba International Port Management Committee, China Railway Xi'an Group, and Xi'an Customs District P.R.China, the company will continue to enhance the operational quality and efficiency of the CRE (Xi'an), facilitate the development of Shaanxi's outward-oriented economy, and contribute to promoting high-quality BRI cooperation and creating a new height for high-level opening-up.