Horseriding lessons keep culture alive
Print Edition
With his arms stretched sideways, 11-year-old Wang Yu learns to balance himself on a horse with the guidance of a qualified jockey.
The primary school student’s lesson yesterday at a school in Hohhot, capital city of northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was provided by the Inner Mongolia Equestrian Association.
It has been organizing a series of horseriding lessons for teenagers between the ages of 11 and 17 in Hohhot from September to last month. More than 2,000 students at elementary and secondary schools took part.
“I feel relaxed and comfortable on a horse now,” said Wang. “But I was very nervous and could not stop trembling when I first took the riding lessons two months ago.”
The horseriding lessons are part of efforts to offer a diverse curriculum to students.
“We would like to improve students’ physical fitness and keep alive aspects of traditional Mongolian culture,” said Fan Chunyang, an official with the local sports bureau.
The association plans to introduce lessons to more schools in Inner Mongolia, and an estimated 100,000 students will get to learn to ride horses over the next three years.
There is growing interest in Inner Mongolia about horseriding because of the local ethnic Mongolian traditions.
Wang Zetao, who works for the local equestrian association, said the riding lessons were not compulsory. “Students chose the lessons voluntarily and everyone who rides a horse must be guided by a professional trainer for the sake of safety,” said Wang.
Citing the winter season, Wang said “the lessons have to be suspended from December and will restart in March next year”.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
