Sports.
With the rise of famous home grown sports stars such as the champion NBA basketballer Yao Ming and Olympic gold medalist hurdeler Liu Xiang, the Chinese are becoming increasingly passionate about competitive sports.
Those aspiring to follow the footsteps of their idols in becoming truly professional athletes are usually snapped up at a tender age by the country’s sports institutes, where they undergo rigorous training everyday of their lives up until the point of professional competition.
For the ‘normal’ less gifted however, sports is still a big part of daily life. With health, wellbeing and a balanced lifestyle playing an important role in Chinese values, it is a common sight to see large crowds at the early hour of 5am participating in tai chi and martial arts in one of the cities many parks and gardens.
Featuring numerous large sporting stadiums and clubs dotted all over Beijing, it easy to find local competition no matter what your sport of choice may be. It’s also a great way to meet new likeminded friends!
