Teens get a kick as kung fu's appeal rises

YINCHUAN－Upon the signal of the judge, a girl dressed in black with a broadsword in her hand suddenly appeared, changing her movements quickly with the dazzling glint of the sword, which emitted a soft whistle as it sliced through the air.

Zhao Yan, 17, won two gold medals in long boxing and blade play at a regional martial arts championship for teenagers held recently in Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Northwest China.

Chinese martial arts, also known as kung fu or wushu, boasts a history of over 3,000 years, but used to be popular only among China's middle-aged and elderly population.