China Marks Second National Fitness Day

Tens of thousands of citizens took part in various sports activities around China on Sunday to mark the country's second National Fitness Day, which falls on the second anniversary of the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

In Beijing, sporting stars including former table tennis world champion Kong Linghui, Olympic taekwondo gold medalist Luo Wei and "Queen of Chess" Xie Jun joined over 2,000 local citizens in a fun-oriented sporting festival at the Chaoyang Park.

In Shanghai, about 2,000 people practiced taijiquan, or shadow boxing, and aerobics along the bank of the Huangpu River.

In northwest China's Urumuqi, some 1,300 local residents braved rains to take part in a long walk in the city, while more than 1,000 swimming lovers splashed in the Li River, one of the most renowned tourism resorts in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In a highlight of the National Fitness Day, Chinese Super league champion Beijing Guo'an will play Spanish powerhouse Barcelona in a soccer friendly in the evening at the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2010)