Du Yize, a young Chinese
parkour fan, practices at a plaza in front of the Forbidden City in
Beijing.
Parkour, an extreme sport performed on an "urban obstacle
course," is now popular among youth in major cities like Beijing
and Shanghai.
Parkour, which stresses forward motion, is an activity in which
people aim to move their bodies from one point to another as
quickly and efficiently as possible, using the utmost abilities of
their bodies.
To succeed, one must develop his body and mind to overcome any
obstacles that may crop up, which can be anything in the
surrounding environment, including concrete walls and rooftops.
Founded in France in the 1980s, parkour can be used in an
emergency or as a pastime. Most recently, parkour was feature in
the film, "The Bourne Ultimatum."
(CRI January 10, 2008)
