China will have its first Yoga college to train qualified teachers for the ancient Indian spiritual and physical art form which has become hugely popular among the fast expanding middle class in the nation.

The Yoga College is being established by the Yogi Yoga Institute of China, a brain child of Yin Yan, former Editor in Chief of the Chinese edition of the ELLE international fashion magazine, who married Manmohan Singh Bhandari, a Yoga exponent from Rishikesh.

The logo of the college, Shardha, Veerya Smruthi and Pragyana, the quintessential components of Hata Yoga was formally inaugurated by senior Indian diplomat Arun Sahu and Kuan Yutao, General Secretary of the Sino-Indian Friendship Association, an official Chinese body, at function on last Friday.

“Ever since Yogi Yoga was established in 2004, we have trained over 10,000 teachers and instructors in our branches in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou,” Yin Yan said. Her Beijing centre itself has four branches.

The three-year course would focus on Hata Yoga, a popular yoga form from India, which would be conducted by a vastly experienced faculty from India and abroad headed by Bhandari.

The first batch of students was being enrolled, he said.

Students from three year course would be chosen from the one month basic course involving 200 hours of training. From the basic to high level course would focus on shaping up a good teacher, Yin Yan said.

The entire 36 month course was expected to cost around USD 4000. The degree would enable teachers to become fulltime instructors of yoga, which is practised in all most popular gyms and health centres in China.