The China-India Yoga College has drawn thousands since it opened in November last year in Kunming in China's Yunnan province.
Based in the Yunnan Minzu (Nationalities) University, the country's first yoga college frequently has students queue up for free lessons in the ancient art, reports Xinhua news agency.
Lu Fang, deputy director of the college, said more than five dozen full-time students have completed yoga sessions. Close to 3,000 people participated in free yoga sessions offered by the college.
"Several companies and government offices invited our teachers to teach yoga," said Lu.
Yoga was first introduced into China by Hong Kong practitioner Wai Lana in the 1980s. Her workout programmes, which aired daily on China's Central Television, were the starting point for many Chinese yogis.
China's white collar workers have adopted yoga as a way to stay fit, with many attending a couple of sessions per week in the gym or studio.
Lu said a growing number of people want to learn from Indian yoga masters.
"They not only learn yoga positions, but also sutras, philosophy, culture and dining habits from the Indian tutors," Xinhua quoted Lu as saying.
"I only knew about Iyengar style, but after extensive learning with Indian tutors, I have come to a much deeper understanding of the yoga art," said Han Mingxue, a Chinese yoga teacher in the college.
The college figured in one of 24 agreements reached during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China in May last year.
![](https://media.darpanmagazine.com/library/uploads/news/content/yoga-china#@</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
under the agreement, india sends at least two tutors to the college. it does not issue degrees, but students who want a degree in yoga can pursue further study at indian colleges.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
velusamy subbulakshmi, who came from india's krishnamacharya yoga mandiram, has spent the past five months giving yoga lessons.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
she said it was not hard to communicate yoga culture with chinese learners. "for example, the chinese taiji (shadowboxing), has a great deal of similarity with yoga," she said.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
"yoga has become the most popular form of cultural exchange between china and india," said ding shaoxiang, vice governor of yunnan province.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
china and india, as neighbours and two of the world's fastest growing economies, have great potential in deepening cultural exchanges, he said.</div>.jpg)
MORE International ARTICLES
Indian-Origin Diplomat Harinder Sidhu Australia's New Envoy To India
She is the third Indian-origin envoy in India, after the US and Canadian envoys and the second Indian-origin Australian high commissioner in India.
Indian-Origin Diplomat Harinder Sidhu Australia's New Envoy To India
Pervez Musharraf In ICU After High Blood Pressure
Former President of Pakistan and chief of All Pakistan Muslim League, Pervez Musharraf was on Thursday admitted to hospital after he fainted at his home.
Pervez Musharraf In ICU After High Blood Pressure
Indian Lawyer Abhinav Bhushan Named South Asia Regional Director At International Arbitration Court
The first Indian to be appointed as deputy counsel of the ICC earlier, Bhushan “will be based in its Asia offices in Singapore and will take on part of the role of the outgoing regional director, Sylvia Tee”
Indian Lawyer Abhinav Bhushan Named South Asia Regional Director At International Arbitration Court
Four Indian Americans Selected To US National Academy Of Engineering
Four Indian American engineers are among 80 new members selected to the prestigious US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for their valuable contributions to the society.
Four Indian Americans Selected To US National Academy Of Engineering
Nuns Who Help Homeless Face Eviction In Costly San Francisco
Sister Mary Benedicte wants to focus on feeding the hungry lined up outside a soup kitchen in a gritty part of San Francisco.
Nuns Who Help Homeless Face Eviction In Costly San Francisco
Analysts Pan Canada's Plan To Arm Kurdish Fighters In Northern Iraq
OTTAWA — The government is facing calls to reconsider a plan to arm Kurdish fighters with automatic weapons and mortars because they could fall into enemy hands or be used to harm innocent civilians.