Photo courtesy of Chen Jianjun

An outdoor gym perched on top of a hill known as Tangjiawan near Cicheng town, outside of Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang Province, recently opened to the public with a wide range of gym equipment including barbells, horizontal bars and still rings made from bamboo and pieces of wood. It was built by Chen Jianjun, a 59-year-old fitness enthusiast, who used to run a handicraft manufacturing factory which specialized in redwood furniture.

“It took me almost a year to handpick these pieces of bamboo, cut them down with sickles and put them together as a way to exercise,” said Chen. He added, “I used to enjoy practicing Tai Chi in my local public park. I put a bamboo pole in the trees as a pull-up bar, but over time it became less of a challenge, so I built more in the garden next to my house.”

Photo courtesy of Chen Jianjun

Cicheng is located 20 miles from downtown Ningbo. Away from the city, Chen’s gym sits at an altitude of 100 meters. Many citizens from nearby neighborhoods and the city have been drawn to do exercise in the natural mountain environment. “Sometimes people have to queue up to use the facilities,” Chen noted. 

On a particularly busy summer's day, a record-breaking 60 people arrived to use the gym. When the gym was first built, most of the workout facilities were made from bamboo and wood, but since then, with the support of returning gym-goers, many barbells have been upgraded to cement and other stronger materials. 

Photo courtesy of Chen Jianjun

“I come here every day before work to exercise for a couple of hours,” said Lou Pengfei, who works at a local logistics company, “it is, without any doubt, a shared gym, in which we all love to contribute.”

According to Chen, some newcomers sustained injuries while working out, which reminded him to write warnings and arrange a supervisor. He suggests citizens choose activities based on their abilities, and strenuous exercise should be carried out with caution.