China’s New Power Series Shows Beijing Youth Driving Growth in Breaking and Skateboarding

A short video series titled China’s New Power, released from Beijing on July 29 2025, documents young athletes and enthusiasts in breaking, skateboarding, rock climbing and surfing across the city and nearby sites.

Authentic footage over nearly one year

The project was produced by China Interactive Sports Technology Invention Co., Ltd. using cinema-quality equipment without scripted segments or heavy editing. Footage follows daily routines such as sweat-soaked training sessions, attempts at new moves and recoveries from setbacks. Specific profiles include Liu Qingyi, who blends traditional Chinese martial arts into her breaking routines, speed climber Wu Peng, skateboarder Zheng Haohao and a seven-year-old climber known as Doujiang who began at age two and a half. An office worker identified as Azai is also shown finding time for surfing near Huizhou beaches. These segments illustrate how Beijing residents, from school-age competitors to working adults, fit the four sports into regular schedules. The material was prepared for simultaneous release on the English-language site of the Chinese Olympic Committee and on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Reddit.

What the series indicates for local fitness routines

By focusing on unpolished moments rather than polished competitions, the videos point to wider everyday participation in activities once considered niche. Beijing schools already schedule regular physical activity periods, and the series captures how trend sports complement those requirements through informal practice in parks, streets and training venues. The production team moved between urban locations and outdoor sites to record participants who treat the sports as personal outlets rather than elite pathways only. China’s 14th Five-Year Plan mandates at least two hours of daily physical activity for students, with Beijing schools implementing 15-minute inter-class breaks to support youth fitness. The 2026 Happy Run International Youth and Family Sports Carnival was held in Beijing on May 30, attracting over 500 participants including diplomats' children and local youth. Beijing's 'Class Super League' is a citywide school initiative planning 400,000 matches in the spring semester, with 99.7% of primary and secondary schools holding class-based competitions in H1 2025. The 2026 Youth Martial Arts Tournament for Beijing's Xicheng and Mentougou districts featured nearly 1,300 young athletes from 87 organizations, marking a record milestone. Viewers can watch the clips directly through the listed platforms to see the range of ages and experience levels represented. The approach keeps attention on individual persistence instead of medal counts or rankings.