Tibetannet

In recent years NW China's Qinghai has launched the “Temple Fitness” campaign. With support from the China’s General Administration of Sport, Qinghai Province Department of Finance and other organizations, they have raised 13.22 million yuan and donated four batches of sports equipment to 619 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and 10 mosques in Qinghai.

Gao Xuelin, Director of Qinghai Sports Bureau, said that the Qinghai Committee has included this work as a monastery infrastructure and public service project. “Fitness has already become part of national policy and monks are also enjoying exercise”, Gao Xuelin said.  

Li Gang, deputy researcher at Qinghai Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Bureau of Arts, Sports and Media, said that among the 108 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and mosques in Huangnan, there are already 64 equipped with fitness equipment and the monks are very keen on fitness training.

At the recently-concluded Tour of Qinghai Lake bike race, monk Ebao from Druchen Monastery in Qinghai Golog Tibetan Autonomous Region, said that many monks are into sport now. In addition to chanting and meditation, they also like to take exercise.