Holding major sporting events is not a panacea for every city in China, a top sports official has warned.

Inspired by the Olympic legacy of Beijing, from which mass fitness campaigns and related business ventures have thrived since the 2008 Games, more and more cities have embraced major sports events, public fitness programs and fairs at huge expense.

However, local officials should stay cool, avoid massive investments and sacrifice their local identities, said Feng Jianzhong, deputy director of the State General Administration of Sport of China.