Tai Chi Tour Kicks off in Henan

Dressed in white tai chi suits, more than 10,000 tai chi lovers celebrated the 2019 "Belt and Road" Tai Chi Tour, held in Chenjiagou, Central China’s Henan province on Sept 2. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The opening ceremony of the 2019 "Belt and Road" Tai Chi Tour was held in Chenjiagou, Wenxian county, Jiaozuo, Central China's Henan province on Sept 2, commencing a two-week cultural tour through 200 domestic cities and 36 foreign cities.

Tai chi, a traditional Chinese form of shadowboxing, is a treasured aspect of Chinese traditional martial arts.

The tour, themed as "Sharing tai chi, Sharing health", aims to promote tai chi as a method of exercise to boost health and carry forward the Chinese culture in cities participating in the Belt and Road initiative.

The event will run from Sept 2 to 15, with millions of tai chi lovers participating in 200 domestic cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Guizhou, and 36 foreign cities, including New York, Berlin and Seoul.

The opening ceremony took place in Chenjiagou, tai chi's birthplace, where Chen Wangting created tai chi by adapting aspects of other martial arts and integrating the ideas of Yi-ology and traditional Chinese medicine in the mid-17th century.

Dressed in white tai chi suits, more than 10,000 tai chi lovers performed Chen Style tai chi (Old form) together at the Culture International Exchange Center Square, in the Ancestral Shrine outside the tai chi Museum and in three other places.

The 10,000 performers then sang songs expressing their love for tai chi and China. They also arranged the words "Long live the motherland" using their bodies to pay tribute to tai chi and celebrate the country's upcoming 70th birthday, which will fall on Oct 1.

"Wenxian county will be a good host for the tai chi gala, and work hard to expand the influence of tai chi," said Mao Wenming, Party secretary of Wenxian county.

Ye Qian in Beijing contributed to this story.

Dressed in white tai chi suits, more than 10,000 tai chi lovers celebrated the 2019 "Belt and Road" Tai Chi Tour, held in Chenjiagou, Central China’s Henan province on Sept 2. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Dressed in white tai chi suits, more than 10,000 tai chi lovers celebrated the 2019 "Belt and Road" Tai Chi Tour, held in Chenjiagou, Central China’s Henan province on Sept 2. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Dressed in white tai chi suits, more than 10,000 tai chi lovers celebrated the 2019 "Belt and Road" Tai Chi Tour, held in Chenjiagou, Central China’s Henan province on Sept 2. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Dressed in white tai chi suits, more than 10,000 tai chi lovers celebrated the 2019 "Belt and Road" Tai Chi Tour, held in Chenjiagou, Central China’s Henan province on Sept 2. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]