Chinese traditional board-shoe racing highlights collaborative spirit

The unique sport of board-shoe racing is demonstrating the collaborative spirit and athletic prowess of China's ethnic minorities at the China's 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities in the coastal city of Sanya in Hainan Province.

Board-shoe racing is a traditional folk sports event of the Zhuang ethnic group in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It pits teams of three athletes wearing a single pair of wooden board shoes against each other. The interesting sport can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, when legend has it that a famous heroine used it as a way to train soldiers. It has been passed on from generation to generation since then and has grown in popularity, attracting participants from northern provinces as well.