Taiji, Connecting the world, Good for Health, and Making People Close to Each Other

时间:2019-12-10  11:06:43

2019 Taiji-Beijing International Health-building Exchange Held at Expo 2019 Beijing

The International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 (Expo 2019 Beijing) has presented a wide range of events since its opening on April 29. On the morning of May 29, the 2019 Taiji-Beijing International Health-building Exchange was opened at the Expo’s lawn Theatre. The Exchange was co-organized by the Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (the BPAFFC), the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, the Information Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Beijing Sports Federation and Xicheng District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality. Delegations from over 13  countries, including Australia, Brunei, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and more than 400 fitness enthusiasts in Beijing attended the opening ceremony and learned the Eight Fists and Five Steps of Taiji recommended and promoted by the General Administration of Sport of China.

During the opening ceremony, Kurt Karst, president of Germany-China Friendship Association, said in his speech that he would like to express his gratitude to Taiji Boxing, a great gift that China presents to the world.

组委会执行副主任、北京市人民对外友好协会副会长刘玉虹指出:“太极之美在于和谐,交流之美在于互动。”

Liu Yuhong, vice executive director of the Organizing Committee and vice president of the BPAFFC, also addressed that the essence of Taiji lies in harmony, while the essence of exchange lies in interaction.

Deng Yi, assistant to the Mayor of Xicheng District Government, expressed her hopes to enhance their friendship through Taiji exchanges and facilitate the building of Beijing’s “four centers” program and urban civility.

After the brief opening ceremony, a show titled “Taiji in Flowers” was unveiled. Fitness enthusiasts from home and abroad gave a series of martial arts performances, such as Taiji Boxing, Taiji Softball, Taiji Sword, Qigong for Fitness, Chinese Martial Arts and Muay Thai. The Mexican delegation presented a Xuanwu Taiji performance combining various Chinese Kungfu forms, such as the Taiji Boxing, Eight-Diagram Palm, Xinyi Boxing, Five-Animal Exercises, traditional martial arts training gears and Qigong. A team of 100 international students and delegation members from 34 different countries demonstrated the popular 24-form Taiji Boxing.

 Afterwards, Indrananda Abeysekera, president of the Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation (ASLCSCC), Su Bensheng, vice president of the BPAFFC, Du Deping president of the Beijing Wushu Association, and Wang Pinxi, secretary-general of the Beijing Sports Federation presented participants the “Excellent Organization Award” and certificates for the Eight Fists and Five Steps of Taiji to the delegations.

After the show, friends from China and foreign countries talked with each other on the lawn theatre. Photo of Milia Miya, Mexican teacher and Lyu Taidong, Tai Chi world champion; Alissa Sutan, a world champion in Muay Thai asked the Qigong teacher for new skills; Cambodian students from China University of Geosciences are meticulous practicing the Eight Fists and Five Steps of Taiji; Elders from Xicheng District who were also Taiji enthusiasts discussed lively with Australian Taiji masters. Thanks to Taiji, friends coming afar from different cultural backgrounds were able to break language barriers and exchange ideas, sharing a common interest in culture.

The series of event also presented other programs including “Great Wall-Taiji”, “Citizen-Taiji”, “Master-Taiji” and  “Taiji Fans Get-together”. These programs aimed at promoting interactions, mutual understandings and friendship between friends from home and abroad, through their exchanges on familiar and popular exercises such as Taiji Boxing, Taiji Softball, Taiji Fan, Taiji Push Hands, Qigong for Fitness, Xingyi Boxing and Muay Thai.