Students and local artists give distinctive ethnic performances at the opening ceremony on April 12. [Photo/chinanews.com]

A three-day national invitational tournament of traditional minority sports opened on April 12 in Lingtang, an area of Jiangsu province noted for its minority groups. 

Centering on the harmonious integration of mountain, water and human beings, the opening ceremony was enlivened by college students and local artists rendering distinctive folk songs, dances, and dragon plays. 

Following the opening ceremony, some 200 athletes from 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, such as Beijing, Liaoning, Hubei, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Guizhou and Hainan, competed in the categories of Banxie and Gaojiao. 

Banxie (Chinese: 板鞋) is a sport in which teams of three athletes race with their shoes fastened to planks. It requires teamwork and coordination. Gaojiao (Chinese: 高脚) is similar to stilt-walking -- athletes stand on stilts, maintain balance, and cross the finishing line as soon as possible. 

An annual event, this year’s tournament is supported by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and the General Sport Administration of China. It also marks the 30th year since the establishment of the Lingtang ethnic area and is meant to refresh Lingtang’s image as the “window of minority groups” in Jiangsu.