More than 220 kungfu enthusiasts from across the country participated in a competition in US state of Connecticut on Saturday to demonstrate the unique charm of Chinese martial arts.

The 9th New England International Chinese Martial Arts Championships is an open tournament with contestants from eight age groups to compete in hundreds of events in internal and external styles including barehand and weapons forms as well as sparring.

Justin LaBella, a 12-year-old kungfu learner from Connecticut, told Xinhua that he has practiced kungfu for nine years and enjoyed learning martial arts, which also helped him understand Chinese culture.

The young contestant has already obtained two gold medals and one bronze.