A fascinating and visually spectacular programme which gives unique insights into how Chinese schools - and the country at large - value physical education and the extraordinary lengths which schools go to in order to engender a lifelong habit of exercise. From the school run - done entirely on foot or bicycle - through lunch with freshly-prepared ingredients, to a whole two hours of exercise every single day, the Chinese put a premium on exercise and healthy living. The programme features the PE drills undertaken by every Chinese child throughout their school career and considers whether habits which to us seem harsh, like hardly ever using central heating in schools, do in fact produce a healthy population. The programme also considers the role of ancient martial arts in the country's physical education heritage and shows the acupuncture-influenced eye exercises performed twice a day by millions of schoolchildren, which the Chinese claim improve eyesight.

Video Series: Sport and PE
Release Date 2006