Feature: Colorful physical training for students in NW China

YINCHUAN, China, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Su Jinghan, an 11-year-old Chinese girl, goes to school with two colorful sticks every day.

The some 40cm-long sticks, also called Huagun in Chinese, is not for driving away stray dogs, but for physical training in her school in Yinchuan, capital city of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

When Su dances with the sticks, which are decorated with colorful pieces of silk and small bells, she is kind of performing martial arts which is accompanied by rings from the bell.

Huagun dance is an ancient Chinese folk sports activity and especially popular among elderly people nowadays.

Sun Mengchun, the assistant headmaster of the No. 23 Primary School of Xingqing District of Yinchuan, said they had made the sticks shorter than the ordinary ones, so that it is easy to carry.

"Huagun dance is a combination of dance and Wushu moves and can mobilizes the whole body into action. Moreover, it produces an enchanting sound when being played," Sun said, adding all student in the school have learned to dance with Huagun and enjoy it so much.

Besides Huagun dance, the primary school also introduced martial arts, boxing and hip-hop dance to enrich children's physical training activities during the class break.

"I love this new curriculum of physical training. They make me strong and feel the charm of martial arts," she said.

Su also said she would sweat after doing all these exercises, which relaxes her body and reduces pressure on her mind if it is overburdened with studies.

Whereas in the No.16 Primary school in Xingqing District, the students turn to more universal sports such as trampoline, tennis and badminton.

Gao Yanhua, assistant headmaster of the school, introduced that the school have hired some professionals outside the campus to teach so that the students can better master the skills.

"The more sports they have, the more chances they can find the one they like," Gao added.

Zhang Liming, an official with the Xingqing district education bureau, said by encouraging students taking part in sports like monocycle, waist drum, diabolo, bamboo pole dance, many schools have worked out their own customized physical training plans.

"The activities are very popular among kids, and they also have benefited from the exercises in the prolonged breaks between classes," Zhang said.

Wang Yongli, another senior manager of the No. 23 Primary School, said every year they would publish the rate of physical health of all the children, as well as the obesity and myopia rates at the most visible place on campus.

"Green means good while yellow is a warning for teachers not only to pay attention to children's academic performance, but also to their physical fitness and health," she said.