China-India Yoga College to open 50 branches in China

China's first Yoga college in Yunnan province, which was set up as part of cultural exchange programme between the two nations, has planned to open 50 more branches across the country as the popularity of India's ancient physical and spiritual discipline continues to grow all over China, state media reported.

The China-India Yoga College was opened at Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming in 2015 after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The announcement came as the college opened its first branch on Saturday at the Yunnan University in the city of Lijiang, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Considering the demand, the China-India Yoga College vows to further expand its training to various cities.

"A total of 50 branches will be set up in the future to boost yoga education and teacher training, Chen Luyan, dean of the China-India Yoga College was quoted as saying by the news agency.

Next to India, a very large number of Chinese yoga enthusiasts take part in the UN's international yoga day every year on June 21.

Chen said that nearly 100 yoga teaching and training centres will also be built to provide teacher training courses, yoga workshops and non-profit courses.

Charge d'Affairs of the Indian Embassy in Beijing, Acquino Vimal participated in the inauguration of the new branch of the India-China Yoga College at Lijiang, Yunnan Province of China.

He appreciated the role of the college in promotion and standardisation of yoga education in China, an Indian Embassy tweet said on Sunday.