Celebrities prove to be a class act

"The responsibility of professional sportsmen is to win glory for our country, and I hope that I can pass on this sense of patriotism to the younger generation."

He says he also shared with the students how he faced up to criticism from the public when he failed to claim the championship in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2016 Rio Games, and how he overcame frustrations and difficulties along his career path.

"I think it's a precious opportunity for me to interact with students in mountainous regions, to share happiness and create good memories together," Sun says.

Chen Di, chief director of the show, says that all the guests invited by A-Class showed genuine concern for their students and had something to offer them.

He says that the program was designed to document an open class and record how these celebrities gave lessons rather than act as a reality show, which generally tends to expose the private lives of the stars.

Jia Xiuqing, a video and television art professor from the Communication University of China, adds that the program "is original in that it has tapped into the children's natural abilities and built up a bridge to better connect students with families, schools and society".