Mayuehan Sports Game Opened with Group Callisthenics – a memorable start to Tsinghua’s Centennial Anniversary

 By May Yu, Special to the Tsinghua News Center

April 22, two days prior to Tsinghua University’s anniversary, marks the Opening Ceremony of Mayuehan Sports Game with Group Callisthenics. This is an annual school-wide sporting event named after the renowned Professor Ma Yuehan, who made a great contribution to the development of Tsinghua University’s physical education program. Traditionally, the champion school or department would win the Ma Yuehan Cup of the year.

The sports games have always been an integral part of the university’s anniversaries, and with this year being the school’s centennial anniversary, students and faculty alike have been preparing extensively to ensure that the performance today is a spectacle to be remembered. Tsinghua University President Gu Binglin, Tsinghua University Council Chairman Hu Heping and other top university leaders attended the opening ceremony.

Hosted in the East Sports Ground, the opening ceremony included a performance by the Marching Band of the Tsinghua University Student Art Troupe, the Entrance of the Athletes, and a large-scale thematic show titled “A Tribute to Tsinghua”. Special guests included Tsinghua university alumni who graduated around 50 years ago. Over 3,500 faculty, staff members, and students performed in the ceremony, which consisted of three scenes, namely “Blossoming of Chinese Redbud” (Tsinghua flower), “Active Life on Campus”, and “Vision of the Future”. 320 faculty and staff members also participated in this event, performing Tai Chi fans, while over hundreds of male university students performed traditional Chinese martial arts with swords alongside the faculty members. Over 800 female dancers staged a remarkable performance with student athletes from sports teams. In total, there were over 3,200 international student representatives from 122 countries as well as pupils from Tsinghua’s Primary School. With the colorful attire, choreographed dances, upbeat music, and sheer number of student and faculty representatives, the Opening Ceremony of Mayuehan Sports Games was a memorable start to what is to be sure would be an even more impressive Tsinghua Centennial Anniversary.

(Photo by Guo Haijun)