In Hebei, curling is an exercise magnet

A curling tournament for local residents in Lixian county of Baoding, Hebei province, was held in recent days, providing game-playing opportunities for amateurs and an interesting visual feast for spectators.

There were 56 players from seven teams drawn from seven different residential communities participating in the competition, according to the local government.

The competition took place under the rules of the World Curling Federation.

"I didn't expect to be able to experience curling without going out of the community. Everyone had fun playing," said one of the players Liu Jie, from the Xincheng residential community.

To encourage local residents to go out of their homes to improve their physical fitness by exercising or playing games, the county has enriched the fitness supply for the masses, according to Liu Dong, deputy head of the county bureau for education and sports.