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English is becoming increasingly popular in China, and even lamas in north China are taking courses to learn the language.

Lamas from Punin Temple of Tibetan Buddhism, in the rural areas of Chengde city in Hebei province, practice English everyday to be able to communicate with the growing numbers of English-speaking overseas tourists to the temple, a number which exceeds 50,000 each year.

Zhaxi, a lama at the Buddhist temple, said he still remembers embarrassing moments in the past when he could not understand the queries from foreign tourists about the temple.

The lama, who does language practice every morning, said he hopes to talk with overseas tourists in English soon.

Qingbatu, another young lama at the temple, said most of them have taken English courses sponsored by a local school.

Chinese people, old and young, are showing unprecedented interest in learning English in recent years since a good command of English has become a must for more and more jobs, especially in urban areas.

Students as young as eight or nine years old in major Chinese cities are required to learn English. Policemen and taxi-drivers, as well as government officials in Beijing, have been asked to learn the language as the city prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

The enthusiasm has created a lucrative market worth 10 billion yuan (1.2 billion US dollars) in China, involving 80 million people, according to relevant sources.