Nation takes to latest trend lying down

While the challenge is becoming popular in many countries, it is taking on new meaning in China, where people from different professions, institutions and government organizations are showcasing their work and lives through items or equipment they use each day.

University students are posing for pictures with typical items they use, ranging from textbooks to painting brushes. Police, soldiers and public prosecutors are showing their working environments, bringing them closer to the public, who are submitting pictures of their hobbies through items such as medals for running marathons.

People's Daily stated on its micro blog that although these photos are posed, they present people's real lives. Members of the younger generation are expressing themselves in this way because they love their jobs and are "wealthy" due to their dedication to work, it said.

Chen Jiaxin, 20, a junior from Shaanxi Normal University who is in charge of its micro blog account, said, "Students on campus love the challenge very much and volunteer to pose for these photos."

She said students are often interested in hot issues such as studies, social news, celebrities and games.

One photo shows an undergraduate lying on textbooks for the teaching certificate examination.

The university is one of many that have posted such photos on their social media accounts.

A popular post by Shanghai Jiao Tong University features a computer programmer who has fallen down with a briefcase and different-colored checked shirts, which are believed to be an unwritten dress code for the profession.

Novelist Rao Xueman posed for photos in which she fell on her books, while fellow writer Liu Tong took a fall with dozens of copies of his new book, providing an ideal promotional opportunity.