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The number of golf lovers in China increased by 30 percent to hit 1 million in the past year, as people are more eager to spend money on leisure, according to recent research.

Chinese people spent at least 1.7 trillion yuan ($248.9 billion) on leisure activities in 2009, or 13.6 percent of total retail sales and 5 percent of the GDP, said the 2010 Annual Report on China's Leisure Development, released on Wednesday by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

"The leisure industry is definitely promising because of people's rising incomes and more free time," said Zhu Shanzhong, deputy director general of the National Tourism Administration.

China's economy grew 8.7 percent last year, with urban per capita disposable income rising 9.8 percent to 17,175 yuan, and rural per capita net income rising 8.5 percent to 5,153 yuan.

"Ten years ago, the word 'golf' equaled 'game of the rich', but now it is different," said Wang Anrui, 56, who fell in love with the sport after retiring several months ago.

At least 125 billion yuan were spent on bathing services in 2009, which provide jobs for 16 million people, the report said.

"Leisure is a kind of social life that covers everything except working and sleeping," said Pei Changhong, head of the Institute of Finance and Trade Economics at CASS.

Leisure is built on consumption, and leisure-related industries include tourism, sports and cultural activities, Pei said.

Pei said China has more room for growth in leisure activities.

From 2001 to 2008, China's Engel curve - which shows how demand for food and service changes as consumers' income levels change - dropped steadily but never below 35 percent. This means consumption demands in areas other than food are in acute shortage, the report said.

Questions:

1. How much is spent on leisure activities?

2. What is the reason behind the growth of the leisure industry?

3. What is the leisure industry?

Answers:

1. Chinese people spent at least 1.7 trillion yuan ($248.9 billion) on leisure activities in 2009.

2. People's rising incomes and more free time. China's economy grew 8.7 percent last year, with urban per capita disposable income rising 9.8 percent to 17,175 yuan, and rural per capita net income rising 8.5 percent to 5,153 yuan.

3. Leisure is a kind of social life that covers everything except working and sleeping. Leisure is built on consumption, and leisure-related industries include tourism, sports and cultural activities.

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（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is fluent in Korean and has a 2-year-old son.