Nearly 300 children from Xi'an Qujiang No 2 School packed the arena for the quarter-finals of the Xi'an Grand Prix as they enjoyed their first experience of live snooker.

They watched Mark Williams beating Lyu Haotian and Daniel Wells seeing off Liam Pullen at the world ranking event in Xi'an which is the capital of China's Shaanxi Province.

Prior to their trip to the venue, the children were visited at their school by world number 52 He Guoqiang, one of China's best up-and-coming talents. He was guided along the school's history corridor and watched a documentary video about the school's development, gaining a deeper understanding of its educational philosophy and journey.

He then addressed the group of children and answered their questions, giving insights into his journey to snooker's highest level, explaining how he followed his dreams with perseverance.

To help students better understand snooker culture, the event featured an educational segment where national-level referee Deng Meng explained the basic rules of snooker and spectator etiquette.

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: "This was an amazing experience for the children and no doubt we have inspired many of them to become lifelong snooker supporters and players. Thank you to all of our partners for this event and particularly to He Guoqiang for generously giving his time. We love to bring snooker to the next generation in China and around the world and to get young people involved in our sport."

Chinese School Children Thrilled By Trip To Xi'an Grand Prix