The Amazing Race China 3


The Amazing Race China 3 is the third instalment of the Chinese reality television series The Amazing Race China . Based on the American reality TV series The Amazing Race, it features eight teams of two in a race around the world.
The name was changed from The Amazing Race to The Amazing Race China from this season onwards, as shown on its clues. Infiniti left as the main sponsor to produce Race the World, with By-Health becoming the main sponsor for this season.
The season premiered on July 8, 2016 and concluded on September 16, 2016. Married couple Guo Jingjing and Huo Qigang were the winners of this season.

Production

Development and filming

Tapings for the series begin on April 18 in Beinjing and ended on July 23 at Rio de Janeiro.
This season changed its name from The Amazing Race to The Amazing Race China, with the changing name shown on the clues and promotion for the show, and also adopting the American-style title sequence instead of a unique title card used from the first two seasons. All the cities visited in this series have hosted Summer Olympics, and the finish line is the host city of 2016 Summer Olympics – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As such, the theme for the season will be Olympics, which will then follow another trending theme starting this series.
After Leg 2, upon the recommendation of doctors, Ji Longxiang had to quit the Race. Liu Xiang's partner and best friend Xu Qifeng replaced Ji starting on Leg 3.
This is also the first season in The Amazing Race China that the Finish Line was not held in the hosting nation at China, and none of the eliminated teams were present at the Finish Line.

Cast

Similar to the first and second season, this season featured celebrities who were chosen to race on the show. Among which teams include a former Olympic diver, members from SNH48, and news anchors from :zh:直播港澳台|Greater China Live.
Originally, Huang Jingyu & Xu Weizhou were cast, but were axed at the last minute; details of this were not disclosed. The duo were replaced by Season 1 racers Liu Chang & Jin Dachuan, who will be competing against a new group of racers.

Future appearances

SNH48 racer Huang Tingting would later appear during the first leg of the next season as a replacement to another racer, who was unable to attend the tapings on that time.

Marketing

This season featured brand new sponsors which were prominently featured in the show as well as on promotional material. In each Leg, teams were able to pick up McDonald's food and Eastroc Super Drink at the specific point and were given By-Health protein drinks to top three at every Pit Stop once officially checked in.
The show was also sponsored by Centaine, Bactroban and LiangMianZhen toothpaste.

Programming

A preview episode, sponsored by Centaine, was broadcast before the start of the episode, featuring a few minutes on the start of the leg, as well as snippets from the previous episode.
Similar to previous seasons, a two-part special season-end reunion/recap, Jin Xing Reviewing the Race, was aired a week after the season finale aired, on September 23 and 30, 2016. The show, hosted by Jin Xing, discusses the top four of eight teams to review the season as a whole.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, each listed along with their placements in each leg and relationships as identified by the program. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television, owing to the inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:
  1. Liu Xiang originally entered the competition with his cousin Ji Longxiang. After Leg 2, it was determined that Ji was not medically fit to continue with the race. Starting on Leg 3, Ji was replaced by Liu's best friend Xu Qifeng. Prior to removal, Ji Longxiang had completed one Roadblock.
  2. Jin Xing & Heinz used the Express Pass given to them by Liu Chang & Jin Dachuan bypass the Roadblock on Leg 3. Before using the Express Pass, Jin Xing elected to perform the Roadblock; this is reflected in the total Roadblock count.
  3. Liu Xiang & Xu Qifeng and Jin Xing & Heinz initially arrived 3rd and 5th respectively, but each teams were issued 30-minute penalties for quitting the sushi-eating task. Liu Xiang & Xu Qifeng's placement was not affected by the penalty, while the last two teams trailing Jin Xing & Heinz checked in during their penalty time, dropping Jin Xing & Heinz to last place; however, Zhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan used their Return Ticket to save Jin Xing & Heinz from elimination.
  4. Wu Jianhao & Yao Fengfeng initially arrived 1st, but they were issued two penalties totaling 75-minutes. Five teams checked-in during their penalty time, dropping Wu Jianhao & Yao Fengfeng to 6th.
  5. Liu Xiang & Xu Qifeng used their Express Pass to bypass the Detour on Leg 4.
  6. Zhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan initially arrived 3rd, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for hiring private transportation during this leg, breaking a Race rule which prohibits hitch-hiking. Guo Jingjing & Huo Qigang checked-in during the penalty time, dropping Zhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan to 4th.
  7. Huang Tingting & Sun Rui initially arrived 4th, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for crossing the red lights while on the way to the Military Edge Flower Detour. Zhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan and Liu Xiang & Xu Qifeng checked-in during their penalty time, dropping Huang Tingting & Sun Rui to 6th.
  8. Liu Xiang & Xu Qifeng were issued a 20-minute penalty for putting too many ingredients in their food at the Paella task.
  9. Huang Tingting & Sun Rui were issued a 10-minute penalty for not putting enough rice in their food at the Paella task.
  10. Jin Xing & Heinz were issued a 10-minute penalty for overcooking their food at the Paella task.
  11. Jin Xing & Heinz and Liu Xiang & Xu Qifeng initially arrived 2nd and 6th, respectively, but both teams were issued 1-hour penalties for quitting the Roadblock challenge. Liu Xiang & Xu Qifeng's placement were not affected by the penalty, while Liu Chang & Jin Dachuan and Guo Jingjing & Huo Qigang checked-in during Jin Xing & Heinz's penalty time, dropping them to 4th.
  12. Zhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan initially arrived 5th, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for not wearing their sleeping caps while performing the Sleepwalker Detour challenge. This did not affect their placement.
  13. Huang Tingting & Sun Rui initially arrived 3rd, but were issued two penalties totaling 90-minutes. The last four teams trailing them checked-in during their penalty time, dropping Huang Tingting & Sun Rui to last place and resulting in their elimination.
  14. Wu Jianhao & Yao Fengfeng initially arrived 2nd, but were issued a 30-minute penalty as Wu Jianhao had walked past the permitted distance where team members are required to remain in-between each other, which was specifically prohibited by the rules. Guo Jingjing & Huo Qigang and Liu Chang & Jin Dachuan checked-in during their penalty time, dropping Wu Jianhao & Yao Fengfeng to last place and resulting in their elimination.
  15. Liu Xiang elected to quit the final leg's Roadblock, but since they were the last team to arrive at the Finish Line, their 1-hour penalty were not issued.

    Voting History

Similar to the Israeli, Australian and Philippine versions, teams on the fifth leg voted for who should receive the U-Turn. The team who has the most votes must complete the other option of the Detour they did not select.
Leg #:5
U-Turned:Zhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan
VoterTeam's Vote
Wu Jianhao & Yao FengfengZhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan
Liu Chang & Jin DachuanZhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan
Guo Jingjing & Huo QigangZhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan
Zhang Zhehan & Zhang SifanWu Jianhao & Yao Fengfeng
Liu Xiang & Xu QifengZhang Zhehan & Zhang Sifan
Huang Tingting & Sun RuiWu Jianhao & Yao Fengfeng
Jin Xing & HeinzWu Jianhao & Yao Fengfeng

Prizes

The prize for each leg is awarded to the first place team for that leg.
  1. An item that can be used on the Race to skip any one task of the team's choosing. The winning team keeps one for themselves but must relinquish the second to another team before the end of the fifth leg of the Race.
  2. An item which teams may use to bring back an eliminated team before the end of the fourth leg.

    Race summary

Leg 1 (China → Greece)

Airdate: July 8, 2016
In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to climb to the roof of the Beijing National Stadium and would be hooked up to a harness and hoisted into the air, just like the dancers that took part in the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies. They would have to make five forward flips in the air while being raised upwards, and then perform five backwards flips while being lowered. Once successful, teams would receive their next clue.
The first Detour of the Race was a choice of Archimedes or Spartan Warriors. In Archimedes, teams have to solve a fourteen-piece Tangram. If teams found their puzzle difficult to solve, they may hike to the top of the amphitheatre where they would be given two scrolls in which the puzzle pieces needed to be placed. Once they completed the tangram, they could receive their next clue. In Spartan Warriors, teams had need to participate in both Javelin and Discus throwing events. Both team members would have to throw the discus beyond a specified line and hit a haybale with their javelin to receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
Airdate: July 22, 2016
This leg's first Roadblock required one team member to ride a zip-line and match a ski pose to receive their next clue.
For their Speed Bump, Zhang Meixi & Zang Yafei were required to make ten white sausage with the same size. After that, they musy finish them all to receive their next clue and continue racing.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Beers or Cheers. In Beers, teams had to carry twenty-two full steins of beer through the Mohrenplatz and carefully delivered them all at once through the crowd without dropping any of them or spilling more than six of them past a line on the stein to receive their next clue. In Cheers, teams had to correctly perform Schuhplattler, a traditional Bavarian dance, to receive their next clue.
In the second Roadblock of this leg, the team member who didn't complete the first Roadblock had to learn a Bavarian love song at the log house and then serenade their partner while perched on a ladder. If they could pronounce the words correctly and stay on key, they would receive their next clue. If they were incorrect, a bucket of water would be dumped on them and they would have to start over.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: July 29, 2016
The Detour choices were derived from the names of the popular different Japanese anime translated in Chinese, namely Sailor Moon or Case Closed. In Sailor Moon, one team member had to dress as a character from the comic series, Sailor Moon, at the Maidreamin maid cafe. Once they had put the costume on, they have to search for a man on the street dressed as the character Tuxedo Mask around the Shibuya Crossing to receive their next clue. In Case Closed, teams had to travel to the Forensics Training Facility and had to locate ten pieces of bones and teeth inside a simulated crime scene, mark each spot with a flag, measure the locations, and graph each piece to scale on an evidence sheet. Once the evidence was graphed correctly, a crime scene analyst would give teams their next clue.
At the Roadblock, one team member have to dress as a ninja and complete three ninja training courses to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: August 5, 2016
In the only Fast Forward of this season, teams had to travel by taxi to the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, change into costumes, and perform four different sky-dancing routine in five minutes. The first team to complete the routine would win the Fast Forward award.
The Detour was a choice between Hibiscus Out of Water or Military Edge Flower. In Hibiscus Out of Water, teams participated in a synchronized swimming routine with six other swimmers of the Russian national developmental team. After practicing the routine, they performed it for a judge. If their routine was performed in satisfaction, the judge would give them their next clue. In Military Edge Flower, teams had to dress up as Russian soldiers and learn the steps of the Trepak dance. If they performed the dance to the judge's standard, they received their next clue.
At the Roadblock, one team member was shown a brief slideshow, showing a sample time in Moscow, a map of Russia's nine different time zones with their UTC offsets and the time and time zone of either Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro or London. Then they were shown multiple instances of the same time zone map without the UTC offsets but with several other Russian cities highlighted. After the show, they had to fill in the corresponding local time for any five cities within an allotted time period. If they completed in time and were correct, teams would receive their next clue. If they were wrong or ran out of time, they had to watch the presentation and do the quiz again.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: August 12, 2016
For their Speed Bump, Jin Xing & Heinz have to travel to Plaza de Gaudí, where they had to carry a traditional Spanish Giant Doll and walk around the whole plaza before they could countine racing.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Torero or Sleepwalker. In Torero, teams had to make their way to the Gran Teatre del Liceu, dress up as an actor from the famous opera Carmen, and then each team member had to answer an answer about details of Carmen to receive their next clue. In Sleepwalker, teams made their way to Port Vell, then, teams must wear a sleeping hat and carry their bed to the starting line. Then, teams had to convince locals to carry them to the finish line which is away to receive their next clue. If either the teams or the bed touches the ground during the task, teams had to ask other locals to help before they could continue.
The Roadblock required teams to make their way to the Camp de Tir Olímpic de Mollet, where one team member had to use a rifle to shoot down five plates to receive their next clue. Each round had five shots, and racers score carried over to the next round.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: August 19, 2016
For the Roadblock, one team member had to choose a mask and then searched through a masquerade ball for a guest wearing exactly the same mask to receive the next clue.
In the Face Off, teams competed in three Olympic track and field events: Hurdles, Race-Walking and Long Jump. Each team member must compete in at least one event. The first team to win two events would receive the next clue. The last team had to wait for an hourglass to empty before they could continue racing.
The Detour was a choice between Roman Numerals or Roman Trebuchet. In Roman Numerals, teams had to count three specific things in Piazza Navona: the number of balloons attached to a vendor's bike, the number of bearded men on the three fountains' statues and the number of paintings from four art vendors that depicted previous events on the race. Using the numbers given, they then had to write the numbers into a provided equation , then solve it and write the answer in Roman numerals to receive the next clue. In Roman Trebuchet, teams needed to use all provided parts to build a fully functional trebuchet. Once they were able to launch a cannonball past a marked line, they would receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: August 26, 2016
For this Roadblock, one team member have to ascend a rope ladder to a hanging platform. They then walked onto a beam from which they needed to jump off in order to grab both halves of a hanging clue. If they failed to grab either one or both halves, they would need to climb up the ladder for another attempt.
The Detour was a choice between Halftime or Full Court. In Halftime, teams learned how to perform a Laker Girls cheerleading routine set to the tune of "Mickey". When they have correctly performed the routine, they would receive the next clue. In Full Court, teams needed to complete an NBA official Skill Challenge. Both team members must perform an alley-oop, dribble through an obstacle course, perform a bounce pass into a vertical hoop and perform a free throw and a 3-point shot at the side of the hoop. If both team members completed the course within four minutes, they would receive the next clue.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: September 2, 2016
This leg's Detour was a choice between Color or Beat. In Color, teams needed to correctly recreate a piece of local graffiti art. When the artist approves of their work, they would receive their next clue. In Beat, teams needed to learn how to sing "Wang Dang Doodle," an English-language Blues song. Once the audience approved of their performance, they would be given the next clue.
For the Face Off at West Georgia Mud Park, one team member from each team would ride in a monster truck while holding a large container of water collected and given to them by their partner. Teams would need to keep as much water as they can in the container during the monster truck course. The team who lost the least amount of water would receive the next clue while the losing team needed to wait for the next.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: September 9, 2016
In a combined Intersection and Face Off, the winning team from the previous leg determined the team pair-ups to compete in a 4 x 100 metre relay race. The losing Intersected teams would serve a 15-minute penalty while the winning teams would continue with the Race. Afterwards, teams were no longer Intersected.
The first Roadblock of the leg required teams to travel to the Museum of Anthropology and find a group of performers called the Voladores of Papantla. One team member had to climb a pole and swing around the pole suspended on ropes to the ground for five minutes to receive their next clue.
For their Speed Bump, Liu Chang & Jin Dachuan had to make acceptable 20 tortillas before they could continue racing.
For this leg's second Roadblock, one team member had to put on a dress made of balloons and follow a marked path through a field of cacti. Along the way, teams had to find a sombrero which they would exchange for their next clue. However, teams would receive a penalty based on how many balloons popped or were missing from their dress.
;Additional tasks
Airdate: September 16, 2016
For the final Roadblock of the Race, one team member had to ride a wakeboard around a course in the water until they could reach and touch a yellow ramp without falling off to receive their next clue.
;Additional tasks