Pic story: parkour club teacher in Chongqing, SW China

Members from Yuefei Parkour Club shoot short videos around the Dongshuimen bridge in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi) 

Chongqing, a city built on mountains, features a city scape of ups and downs and scattered buildings. The road is often seen being built on the roof, and the light rail running through the buildings in the southwest China's metropolitan.

With the natural advantages for parkour, also known as free-running, Chongqing provides the practitioners of parkour a playground where they overcome obstacles in the urban landscape without assistive equipment in the fastest and most efficient way possible.

Wen Shunyao, 32, a parkour club teacher, first learned about parkour in a movie when he was a student in university. After a few years of traning, he met more friends sharing same passion for parkour. They participated in competitions together and Wen gradually gained his fame.

After graduating from university, Wen Shunyao turned his passion into work and became a parkour trainer. Now, his club is a professional parkour training institution, recruiting more than 400 students. Wen Shunyao also makes short video clips with his club members to bring more people to know about Chongqing from the perspective of parkour practitioners.

Wen Shunyao shows parkour moves at Yuefei Parkour Club in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Dec. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

A light rail train runs through the flowers in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Feb. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao shoots short videos around the Dongshuimen bridge in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao shows parkour moves around the Chaotianmen wharf in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Photo taken on Dec. 9, 2021 shows a night view of an old street in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao warms up around the Chaotianmen wharf in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao shows parkour moves at Jinzhou Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao shows parkour moves around the Chaotianmen wharf in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao (R) warms up with a student at Yuefei Parkour Club in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Dec. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Photo taken on Dec. 23, 2019 shows a view of the cableway across the Yangtze River in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao sets up the training equipment at Yuefei Parkour Club in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Feb. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)

Wen Shunyao (2nd L) walks on a route with members from Yuefei Parkour Club as they prepare to shoot short videos around the Dongshuimen bridge in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao shows parkour moves around the Chaotianmen wharf in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao warms up around the Chaotianmen wharf in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao shows parkour moves at Jinzhou Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao (L) gives instructions to a student at Yuefei Parkour Club in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Dec. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

People visit Shancheng Alley of the Jiefangbei business district in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Dec. 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao shows parkour moves at Jinzhou Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

A visitor takes photos in Hongyadong scenic spot at night in Yuzhong District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Sept. 9, 2019. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao shows parkour moves around the Chaotianmen wharf in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao practices parkour moves at Yuefei Parkour Club in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Dec. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Gao Jiawen, a member from Yuefei Parkour Club, shows parkour moves around the Dongshuimen bridge in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao (R) shows a route to a member from Yuefei Parkour Club as they prepare to shoot short videos around the Dongshuimen bridge in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Photo taken on Dec. 10, 2021 shows a night view of an old street in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao talks with members at Yuefei Parkour Club in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Feb. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)

Wen Shunyao warms up around the Chaotianmen wharf in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

Wen Shunyao (1st R) shoots short videos with members from Yuefei Parkour Club around the Dongshuimen bridge in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

This photo taken on April 1, 2023 shows a general view of the Chaotianmen wharf in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)