An itinerant exhibition on promoting China’s table tennis culture gets underway at Huayuan Primary School in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on April 8. [Photo/sports.gov.cn]

The eastern city of Wuxi in Jiangsu province has a long connection with ping-pong, or table tennis, the national sport of China.

Now, the lakeside city is gearing up to promote its sporting image as an itinerant exhibition on ping-pong culture was unveiled at the city’s Huayuan Primary School on April 8.

Aside from gaining support from the Chinese Table Tennis Association and the city’s education bureau, the event was also enlightened by a cluster of world-renowned ping-pong stars, such as Ma Long, Zhang Jike, Ding Ning, and Liu Shiwen.

Lei Jun, an official from the General Administration of Sport, expressed his appreciation for the city and the school’s dedication to developing table tennis.

“As the alma mater of Cai Zhenhua, a former table tennis player and sports executive, Huayuan Primary School is surrounded by a rich sporting atmosphere, where ping-pong themed sculptures, posters, and pictures decorate every corner of the campus. Practicing table tennis has become an essential part of students’ daily life,” Lei said. “That’s why the school is the birthplace of this event.”

He also extended congratulations to the grand opening, and introduced that, from April to September, the event will travel from eastern cities like Wuxi and Shanghai to southern cities including Xiamen, Guangzhou, and Jiujiang.

Pupils from the primary school went on to stage a variety of table tennis-themed performances, such as singing, dancing, and calisthenics. They also engaged in “battling” against coaches and lead players from the national table tennis team, pushing the energetic and joyous atmosphere to a new high.

Ding Ning, the Rio Olympic champion, “battles” against young players at the opening ceremony. [Photo/wuxi.gov.cn]