Promoting physical education is crucial for University in building a world-class university, said President during the opening ceremony of the 2011 PKU Sports Meeting.

The annual athletic festival, which opened on April 23, is an important practice of U’s generalized physical education.

University Council Chairman announced the start before faculty, staff members and students performed group calisthenics. Teachers first danced with silk fans. Students wearing light blue clothes did Taijiquan, a traditional Chinese soft style martial art. Students in Uyghur dress showed a folk dance with the rhythm of ethic music.

The sports meeting lasted from April 23 to 24, in which some 2,500 teachers and 3,000 students participated in performances competitions. The 131 sports events included track and field, basketball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, badminton, swimming, billiards, and marathon relay on campus. From April 11 to 21, We held fun-game sports meeting covering big rope jumping, golf, three-legged race, shoot ball game, and step game as part of its 18th Sports Cultural Festival.

The sports meeting is an important practice of the University concept of “sunshine sports” and “generalized physical education,” which encourages more exercise and athletic spirit both in and after class. University has opened some 40 kinds of PE courses, the model of which was awarded the “national quality course” by China’s Ministry of Education.