Tradition meets high-tech in China's PE classes

In this autumn semester, sports teacher Yang Hu and his wife Yu Xiaona prepared a special gift for pupils at Wanjia Primary School in Ordos city, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region — a rope-jumping routine to the theme song of the popular Chinese animated film Nobody.

"The film went viral this summer, so we came up with a new set of rope-jumping routines for students in the new semester," said Yang.

With the help of his wife Yu, the primary school's dance teacher, Yang integrated local Mongolian dancing with rope jumping to attract more students to get involved. "Rope jumping can improve their physical coordination and fitness, which can become a lifelong habit," Yang said.

In Shantou, South China's Guangdong province, sports on school campuses also feature cultural elements. With the guidance of a kung fu instructor, students learned to perform martial arts to the rhythm of a fan dance.

"Kung fu is really fun," said Chen Sinuo, a student at Guangsha School in Shantou, who loves fan dancing and always shows the movements to his parents after school.

Zhao Anrong, director of physical education at Guangsha School, said: "We want to make exercise more engaging while passing on cultural traditions and helping students develop qualities like focus, perseverance and humility."