With the recent opening of an indoor equestrian facility covering 1,500 square meters, primary and middle school students in Altay prefecture of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region can practice horsemanship.

Jilin province provided 2.6 million yuan ($408,000) for the construction of the facility, which has helped to improve the quality and capacity of classes.

"We used to learn riding outdoors only in the spring and summer. But the newly built indoor space allows to us to practice whether it's cold or hot outside," said Chai Haoyu, a student from Altay No 1 High School. "I feel so happy!"

Altay has been improving its sports facilities and developing its fitness and recreation industry in recent years. In 2019, a project that aimed to involve 10,000 youngsters in horse riding was initiated by the prefecture, enabling students from primary schools and middle schools to learn the sport under the guidance of professional riders.

Xu Mao, an official from Altay's education bureau, said the classes help temper students' willpower and increase their exercise time.