Feature:Asportscollector'sjourneytoopeningamuseuminChina'sHainan_GuangmingOnlineHAIKOU,March28(Xinhua)--U.S.-raisedXieFeihasturnedhislifelongpassionforcollectingsportsmemorabiliaintoauniquecontributiontoChina'ssportsculture.ResidingonHainanIsland,XiehasestablishedanextensiveprivatesportsmuseuminFushan,ChengmaiCounty,awayhepreservesthehistoryofChinesesports."Thishasbeenmybiggesthobby,"saidthe42-year-old,whobegancollectingsneakersandjerseysbackinhighschoolinCaliforniaandcontinuedhispassioninBeijingduringhiscollegeyears."Ihavedevotedmorethantwodecadestoit."ItemsfromNBAstarsMichaelJordan,KobeBryant,andLeBronJamesfeatureprominentlyinXie'sTianfuSportsMuseum.Theseitemsmarkthebeginningofhiscollectionjourney,which,however,extendsfarbeyondthat.Around25yearsago,XiereturnedtoChinaforhighereducationandin2002startedhisownbusinessinHainan-aresorthotelinFushan,whichhighlightedlocalcoffeeandshowcasedhissportsmemorabilia."Atthattime,IthoughtIhadmanysportscollections,andinsteadofkeepingthemathome,Iwantedtoshowcasethematthehotel.Itmightappealtouristsandneighborhoodresidents,"saidXie.Indeed,manytouristsexpressedinterestintheexhibition,leadingtomorepermanentdisplays,andeventually,theofficialopeningofhismuseuminavacatedfour-storybuilding.Atthattime,Xie,whojustreturnedtoChinaandwasstillnotfluentinMandarin,foundthatthemuseumcouldbeabridgeconnectinghimtoothers.HiscollectionbegantoexpandbeyondtheNBA,embracingarichertapestryofChineseitems.Sincethen,hehasbeensearchingformoreChinesesportscollections.JerseysfromChina'swomen'svolleyballteam,thesignatureofChina'sfirstOlympicchampionXuHaifeng,andthetorchoftheBeijingOlympicGames-Ashisvaluablecollectionsexpanded,hebegantofeelmoreresponsibility.AccordingtoXie,thecollectionspreservethehistoryofChinesesportsandthecountry'sOlympicspirit."Thesecollectionshaverichvalueineducatingpeople,"Xiestated.Therefore,Xiedecidedtodonateallhisover2,000collectionstothegovernmentwhilecontinuingtoexhibitthemforfreeinhismuseum.Hefundsthemuseum'smaintenancewiththeproceedsfromhishotelandofteninvitessportsexpertstoholdseminarsthere.Inrecentyears,hehasfrequentlytakenhiscollectionstoschoolstoteachchildrenaboutthehistoryofChinesesports.Hehasalsobuiltaswimmingpoolandabasketballcourtnexttothemuseumforlocalteenagerstouseforfree."Sportsarethebesteducation,"saidXie."Ihopethenextgenerationwilllearnfromthesecollectionsandthestoriesbehindthem."AsChinadecidedtoestablishafreetradeportsysteminHainanin2018,Xiewantedtocontributemoretotheislandwherehehaslivedformorethan20years."Topromotetheconstructionofthefreetradeport,promotingHainan'slocalcultureisimportant,andsportsareoneofthekeyelements,"heremarked.Sincethen,Xiehasstartedcollectinglocalsportsmemorabilia.Duringthisprocess,hefoundthatlocalsportshistorywasincomplete,sohecontactedlocalscholarsandbegancompilingandfillinginthegaps.FromthemedalofHainan'sfirst-everGamestothetraditionalsportsequipmentoflocalLiandMiaopeople,afterseveralyearsofeffort,Xie'smuseumhasbeenabletoorganizeaspecialHainansportsexhibitionwhilealsodelvingintomoredetailedhistoricalresearch.Butthemuseumowner'seffortsdonotstopthere.Lookingforward,hehassetanewgoal."Iwanttobuildanewmuseum,onethatfeaturesonlyHainansportscollections,"saidXie."IwanteveryonetoknowhowvibrantHainan'ssportscultureis."Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.