China gained five out of seven gold medals on the first day of the 8th World Wushu Championships held in Hanoi, Viet Nam on Saturday.

Mao Yaqi from China won the women's Namquan (southern fist), the championships' first gold medal. Her compatriots, Cao Jing took the women's Changquan (long fist), Zhang Jidong the men's Qiangshu (spear play), Zhou Bin the men's Taijiquan (shadow boxing), and Zhang Chunyan the women's Jianshu (sword play). 

The gold medals of the women's Nandao (southern broadsword) and the women's Daoshu (broadsword play) went to contestants from China's Macao and Italy, respectively. Besides the Daoshu gold medal, Italian athlete Xu Huihui won the silver medal at the women's Changquan.

In Sanshou (fight), only the first round of men’s competitions was held on Saturday.

On the tournament first day, China ranked first with 5 gold, followed by Macao and Italy with 1 gold and 1 silver each, hosts Vietnam with 2 silver, Chinese Taipei with 1 silver and 1 bronze, China's Hong Kong and South Korea with 1 silver, Japan with 2 bronze, and Malaysia, Myanmar and Spain with 1 bronze.

Nearly 520 athletes from 57 countries and regions have vied for 40 sets of medals at the championships, which will last until Dec.14.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2005)