Villagers in China's Hebei province find novel way to keep fit
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BEIJING (CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - In a small mountain village 300km north-west of Beijing, many peasants follow an exercise routine that resembles yoga.
The village is called Yugouliang, and is situated in Zhangbei county, in Zhangjiakou city, Hebei province.
Until two years ago, these villagers did not follow a specific fitness routine, but now they have mastered a series of poses such as standing on one foot, squatting against a wall, planking, sit-up, push-up and headstand.
"Our poses are not strictly yoga. But they reflect rural life. And they keep everyone active," says 52-year-old Lu Wenzhen, who is the first secretary of poverty alleviation in the village.
Zhangbei county is one of the 10 most poverty-stricken counties in Hebei province.
The county is dry and short of water, and farmers are at the mercy of the forces of nature.
There are no shops in the village, and mobile trucks sell vegetables and daily necessities once or twice a week in the village centre.
Like many poor villages, most of the able-bodied men in the village have left for the big cities, leaving only the middle-aged and the elderly in the village.
As the popularity of "yoga" in the village grows, the local government says that it will build a nursing home and an exercise studio in the area.
