National martial arts competition opens in Qingzhen

The martial arts performance at the opening ceremony of the 2023 National Traditional Sports School League Martial Arts Tournament in Qingzhen on Dec 4. [Photo/gzqz.gov.cn]

On Dec 4, the 2023 National Traditional Sports School League Martial Arts Tournament opened in Qingzhen city of Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province.

Qingzhen is known as the hometown of wushu (martial arts) in China, and 1,009 young martial arts enthusiasts from all over the country gathered there for the event.

Li Yongqiang, deputy director of the Martial Arts Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, announced the competition's opening. Senior government officials from Guizhou province and Qingzhen city attended the event.

During his speech, Fu Tao, Party secretary of Qingzhen, stated that in recent years, the city has been actively hosting martial arts events and promoting the development of the martial arts industry, integrating sports into tourism. This time, Qingzhen will provide a convenient, efficient, and considerate service guarantee to ensure the competition's success.

The martial arts performance at the opening ceremony of the 2023 National Traditional Sports School League Martial Arts Tournament in Qingzhen on Dec 4. [Photo/gzqz.gov.cn]

During the opening ceremony, the referee and athlete representatives took an oath. The participants also enjoyed incredible cultural performances together.

The competition was divided into individual events and collective events. The individual category included 11 projects such as changquan (long fist), jianshu (swordplay), qiangshu (spearplay), and gunshu (cudgel play), while the collective category included fitness aerobics, among others. The competition concluded on Dec 8.

The tournament is held once a year, and this is the second time it has been held in Qingzhen after six years.

The event was organized by the Martial Arts Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Wushu Association, and the Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau, aiming to promote the inheritance and development of martial arts, enhance the physical fitness of young people, cultivate indomitable willpower, and promote traditional Chinese culture.