More than 1,000 yoga enthusiasts swarmed to an event organised by India in eastern China as a curtain-raiser to the third International Yoga Day on June 21. <br/><br/>The event at the Chuzhou Garden yesterday was jointly organised by the Consulate-General of India, Shanghai, and the Lishui city government.<br/>Vice-mayor of Lishui, Lu Cailiu, welcomed the introduction of Yoga and stated that the ancient Indian practice already had a huge following in her city.<br/><br/>Lishui was the third city in eastern China to host the curtain-raiser event to the third International Day of Yoga. More yoga events are lined up from June 17 to June 25 in eastern China regions of Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu. <br/>

In China, over a thousand people took part in a yoga event today as a prelude to the third International Day of Yoga celebrations to be held next month. A grand curtain raiser event to launch the celebration in Wuyi in China's Zhejiang province was jointly organised by Consulate General of India, Shanghai along with People's Government of Wuyi County. A Consulate press release said, the event was launched at the scenic Wuyi Big Red Rock Hot springs area and yoga lovers from Wuyi participated in the yoga celebrations.<br/><br/>Mayor of Wuyi Zhang Xusheng, in his inaugural address, said just like Buddhism had bound two great Indian and Chinese civilisations together, yoga also had the potential to promote values of harmony and peace between India and China.<br/><br/>The Consulate is organising International Day of Yoga celebrations from June 17 – 25 which will be held in 10 cities and will bring together 15,000 yoga lovers closer to India. The grand finale will be held on June 25, in Wuxi at the foothills of the scenic Lingshan Temple.The UN General Assembly had made a declaration in December 2014 to observe June 21 as International Day of Yoga.