(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-11-13 17:17

GUANGZHOU - Xu Ying, an ethnic Buyi kung-fu master, runs a martial arts school at his hometown in southwest China's Guizhou Province, with his students from a variety of ethnic background -- the Miao, Han and Tujia and so on.

"They not only practice martial arts at my school, but also help and learn from each other," said the 56-year-old Xu. "They treat each other like brothers."

Xu is taking part in the ongoing 8th national ethnic games in Guangzhou. It is for the first time that the quadrennial games are held outside ethnic autonomous regions.

"Making friends is our main goal at the national ethnic games," said Xu, who looked apparently happy with what he's experienced at the games.

China has 56 ethnic groups, most of whom have their own languages. Han Chinese accounts for 91.9 percent of the Chinese population, while Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongolian, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1 percent.

More than 6,000 non-Han athletes are gathering at the provincial capital of Guangdong from November 10-18 to compete in 15 ethnic sports including dragon boats race, swinging, Chinese cricket and top flipping, as well as 149 demonstration events.

Yang Shengmin, a professor at the Central University of Ethnic Nationalities, said the national ethnic games plays an important role in building a harmonious society.

"For various reasons, the economic conditions in ethnic autonomous regions lag behind those regions predominantly inhabited by the Han people.The national ethnic games is conducive to boosting the morale of ethnic minorities and enhancing the social ties between different ethnic groups," said Yang.

"Now we are at the best stage in terms of ethnic unity," he added.

Unlike other sports events, the ethnic games doesn't count medals. Moreover, none of the sports is an Olympic event.

"For me, that is the charm of the ethnic games, " said Yang Benpei, director of the Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Complex, one of the 19 venues for the ethnic games.