(Stamps of broadcast gymnastics in China)

The first broadcast gymnastics of the People’s Republic of China was issued on November 24, 1951. Since then, there have been nine editions of the exercise.

In the early years after New China was founded, the country began to emphasize sports development to improve nationals’ health quality. Then in 1950, the first broadcast gymnastics was created based on Japan’s "radio taiso" (or simply, radio exercise) and former Soviet Union public exercise programs. It only consisted of ten parts and was a 5-minute exercise program.

(People in Shanghai practiced the first edition of radio calisthenics in China in 1951.)

The second set of broadcast exercises in China were promulgated in July 1954, with aerobics and dance elements added.

In 1957, the third set was introduced, with martial arts moves. Doing broadcast exercise even became a “fashion” in the country. People in some workplaces practiced it three times a day, as the exercise is helpful for improving appetite and sleep.

The fourth edition was then lunched on April 15, 1963 and came with ethnic minority languages.

The fifth was issued on September 1, 1971. Jet Li, who then became a Chinese kung fu star on the international stage, used to lead the exercise in front of his classmates when he was in elementary school.

The sixth edition came out ten years afterwards on September 1, 1981.

The seventh was launched on May 8, 1990, and gymnast Li Ning was a model for it. 

Then the eighth and ninth were launched respectively in 1997 and 2011. Movements of bowling and modern dance have been added to the exercise regime.