A total of 1,000 people participate in the fifth International Yoga Day in Beijing. Photo: Li Jieyi/GT

The Indian Ambassador to China Misri also joins the crowd for the 40-minute yoga practice. Photo: Li Jieyi/GT

Around 1,000 people took part in the fifth International Day of Yoga activities held by the Indian Embassy in China's India House on Friday.

With similar activities also held at Zhengzhou, Henan Province, Wuhan, Hubei Province, Qingdao, Shandong Province, and Guiyang, Guizhou Province, this year's event drew the participation of a total of 3,000 people.

"I'm happy to see so much interest in and enthusiasm for yoga in China," Vikram Misri, the Indian Ambassador to China, said. Misri also joined the crowd for the 40-minute yoga practice. "I wish more of our Chinese friends would be inspired by this movement that is now a worldwide movement and come and join and benefit."

Sixty-eight-year-old Meng was one of the participants. She said that she started learning yoga two weeks ago because she thought yoga was just an activity that young people practiced to maintain a beautiful body. "Later, I found that it can help you build a harmonious status between your body and mind and now I have become a yoga fan," Meng said, adding that she thinks the International Day of Yoga event is very meaningful and hopes to participate again next year. 

Twenty-two-year-old Ligthart Timeri from French Polynesia who practiced yoga for the first time at the event, said, "I really appreciate that and maybe next year I will do it again."