Taekwondo championship opens in Baotou

A taekwondo championship opened in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 28, attracting participation from more than 700 domestic college and university students, reports Baotou Daily.

The championship will run until Sept 30.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art, developed during the 1950s. It incorporates karate with traditional Korean martial arts like taekkyeon, subak, and gwonbeop.

The sport was introduced to China in 1992 and has been gaining in popularity ever since. It is most popular among teenagers as the sport features high jumping, fast spinning and kicking, while also enhancing physical fitness.

Taekwondo has always been a popular sport in Baotou. In recent years, the city has been active in promoting it, with more groups and clubs springing up, improving the competitiveness of the city's taekwondo players. 

A scene captured during a taekwondo championship which opened in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 28. [Photo/Baotou Daily]