Pearl ball, once an ethnic sport in northeast China, now draws massive attention at the ongoing 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities in Sanya City, south China's Hainan Province.
This year, 36 men's and women's teams with over 500 participants registered for the pearl ball game. Tournament has been running since Saturday and will conclude on Friday. Originating from the pearl-diving practices of the Manchu people in northeast China, pearl ball simulates the act of throwing clams into a basket. Over time, this activity has evolved into a sport and was formally included in the Games in 1991.
In 2008, the pearl ball sport was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage item.
Described as "mini-basketball with a moving hoop," pearl ball features unique rules. Players aim to score by throwing the ball into a handheld net carried by a teammate. Each match lasts 30 minutes, with two teams of seven competing.
The sport combines physical demands and entertainment value, offering participants an excellent workout while minimizing the risk of injury due to its soft, lightweight ball. It has grown in popularity, with schools and universities across China integrating it into their physical education programs. While pearl ball originated from northeast China, recent years have seen southern teams dominate the competition at the Games, highlighting how ethnic sports foster unity across regions and cultures.
The Games, which are staged in Sanya from Nov 22 to 30, feature 18 competition events and 170 performance events, encompassing traditional items such as ethnic martial arts and dragon boat racing, as well as lesser-known sports like bamboo drifting.
Held every four years, the Games are a national traditional sports gathering of the highest level in China.
Pearl ball competition shines at national ethnic minorities games
To meet the timeline of starting independent customs operations by the end of 2025, the government of south China's Hainan province issued a series of regulations to stipulate import and export management of Free Trade Port (FTP), with two major documents on environmental safety and medicine import put into effect recently.
To further explain the effects and scope of the two documents, the local government held press conferences on Monday and Tuesday.
The "Several Provisions on the Management of Entry Environmental Safety Access in the Hainan Free Trade Port" took effect on Wednesday, which clarified the scopes and responsibilities regarding potential environmental issues of vessels and import products.
"The document regulates the access management of special items such as hazardous waste, remanufactured products, carry-on items of entry personnel, and radioactive materials. Meanwhile, it clarifies that the storage sites for transit goods should meet environmental safety management requirements, to avoid environmental pollution," said Di Weijie, deputy director of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Hainan Province.
In addition, the administrative rule on zero-tariff import of medicines and medical devices in Hainan Free Trade Port was put into effect on Tuesday, stipulating that before Hainan FTP starts independent customs operations, medical institutions, higher medical education institutions, and pharmaceutical research institutes registered in the Hainan's Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone with independent legal status and approved eligibility can import designated pharmaceuticals and medical devices under the zero-tariff policy.
"The scope [of medicines and medical devices imported under 'zero-tariff' policy] consists of two categories: imported pharmaceuticals and medical devices already approved for registration in China, and specially licensed pharmaceuticals and medical devices for the Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone," said Jia Ning, director of Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone Administration, during the press conference.
With policy supports and related efforts like the Ever Lasting International Innovation Medicine Exhibition held in the Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone, medicine and health care is expected to be a new pillar industry for Hainan.
New regulations clarify environment, medicine import issues in Hainan Free Trade Port
