Hangzhou, the capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, made sports facilities in its middle and primary schools available to the public again on Feb 20, the city's education bureau announced.

The initiative to allow the public to use the facilities for free or a nominal fee was first introduced in 2021 but was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Official statistics show there are 1,134 such facilities, both indoor and outdoor, in Hangzhou. Under the initiative, public middle and primary schools are required to open their sports facilities. Private schools have been encouraged to do so as well.

Meanwhile, day schools are required to open their outdoor sports facilities and indoor gyms to the public for at least three hours each day during work days. During public holidays and school vacations, the facilities are required to be open for at least eight hours each day. Boarding schools are also required to open their sports facilities and gym to the public during public holidays and school vacations for at least eight hours each day.

Residents in Hangzhou can reserve the sports facilities on Alipay and Zheliban, the province's online government service platform. The move to open up sports facilities and gyms in schools is expected to provide more opportunities for the public to participate in sports activities and promote a healthier lifestyle in light of the upcoming 19th Asian Games, which will be held in Hangzhou from Sept 23 to Oct 8.