China's annual National Fitness Day celebrated its 11th anniversary on August 8 and was observed in many different parts of the country.

Ten years ago, the day was established to commemorate the success of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games and encourage people to actively participate in sports and fitness activities. According to a national fitness regulation, every year relevant administrations organize events to provide guidance for fitness and open public sports facilities to the public for free on that day.

Last year, nearly 3,500 activities were held across the country, covering 100 million participants. In recent years, various activities including jogging, marathon running and square dancing have been launched, meeting people's need for health and exercise.

(Photos by Xinhua News Agency)

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

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