Running in the Dark hosts literature class in Chongqing

Chongqing's Nan'an district hosted a Chinese literature class for the visually impaired on Sunday morning. The participants were members of the Chongqing branch of the nonprofit charity Running in the Dark.

The group spent two hours studying a Chinese poem from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) about Spring Festival and traditional well-wishing chunlian (Chinese couplets).

Established in October 2022, the Running in the Dark Chongqing branch has over 200 visually impaired members and a volunteer base of more than 400 individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Running in the Dark is a national nonprofit charity that supports visually impaired runners. It originated in Shanghai in 2016 and has since expanded to include 27 branches nationwide. The organization has diversified its activities to include sports such as hiking, cycling and swimming.

"Ours is the first branch in the country to offer such a class for this community," said Lu Wei, the founder of the Chongqing branch.

He added: "In China, the majority of partially sighted individuals have limited education levels due to their visual impairment, especially those who lost their sight since childhood. Like everyone else, they aspire to gain cultural knowledge and insight and are eager to learn. Therefore, we started this class three months ago to combine cultural learning with physical activity."

The branch members have regular training sessions on local sports fields once or twice a month. More than 20 members have participated in marathons.