The hotly contested Beibu Gulf Dance Competition culminated at the Zhanjiang Sports Center on Dec 9, with champions in 219 categories chosen from nearly 100 representative teams from cities in the Beibu Gulf area.

The popular event, which was hosted by Zhanjiang Sports Bureau, Zhanjiang Sports & Dance Association and Zhanjiang International Ballroom Dancing Association for a fifth consecutive year in Zhanjiang, wields a growing influence.

Nearly 3,000 contestants from Guangzhou, Nanning, Beihai, Haikou, Maoming, Yangjiang and other cities descended on Zhanjiang where they were divided into 219 groups to pit their skills against one another.

Wei Honggang, an international judge of the World Dance Sport Committee, chaired the jury with Huang Guanghua, deputy director of the International Ballroom Dancing Committee of the China Education Federation of the Arts.

Performances by Yang Jun and Yang Wanming, former members of the China Ballroom Dance Federation and ranked 96th in the amateur group at the 2017 Blackpool Dance Festival, were well received by the audience.

It is hoped that the dancers will strengthen cultural exchanges among cities in Beibu Gulf, and that the event will promote fitness and healthy lifestyles.