'Mermaid diving' making a splash in Hunan

An underwater sport recently became a hit in central China's Hunan province, after a telecast featuring a nymph in ancient China went viral online during this year's Dragon Boat Festival.

The telecast, in the form of a video by Henan TV Station, was shot underwater. The dancer mastered not only her dancing techniques but also holding her breath to perform well in the water.

Her beautiful moves and peerless elegance amazed netizens, and has set off a trend.

"Mermaid diving", a niche sport unfamiliar to most people in China, has since become much more popular. Enthusiasts in Changsha, capital city of Hunan province, and nationwide have begun to learn how to do it themselves.

Chen Ruoping, a 36-year-old native of Changsha, began training in 2020 and became a coach for the sport this year.