Two boys scale up artificial rock walls in a national competition at Dushu Lake Rock Climbing Club on Aug 23. [Photo/ Suzhou Daily]

The first National Children Rock Climbing Championships opened on Aug 23 at the Dushu Lake Rock Climbing Club in the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, with 45 teams and more than 150 competitors from across the country.

The two-day competition is for children aged 8 to 13 and will be held for three consecutive years in Suzhou. The climbing routes are designed especially for children.

Zhong Qixin, a three-time world champion in rock climbing, designed the routes and climbed first yesterday, followed by young competitors.

Rocking climbing will be an official event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Chinese rock climbers are training for the games.