tai chi encourages calm so why are its fans stressing out
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Tai chi encourages calm. So why are its fans stressing out?

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Tai chi encourages calm. So why are its fans stressing out?

Zhang Jian (left) a tai chi master, leads his students through the motions in the Temple of Earth park in Beijing.
Beijing - Arab today

 Last year, Indian yoga made Unesco’s list. In 2011, South Korea’s taekkyeon became the first martial art so honoured.

So why can’t Chinese tai chi win similar international recognition?

That is the question on Yan Shuangjun’s mind as the annual deadline approaches for nominations to Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, established by the United Nations agency to celebrate and protect the world’s cultural diversity. For the past decade, Yan has lobbied for the inclusion of tai chi, a centuries-old martial art that combines flowing movements with deep breathing and meditation.

“Through tai chi, one can understand Chinese culture, from medicine to literature, from philosophy to art,” said Yan, who heads the Tai Chi Unesco Heritage Application Group in Wen County, Henan province, widely thought to be the martial art’s birthplace.

As much as tai chi advocates and fans insist that it embodies unique aspects of Chinese culture, they fear that if China does not secure it a Unesco listing, other countries might move ahead with their own variants. It would not be the first time, they say.

Although tai chi may have its roots in self-defence, in recent years it has gained broad popularity as a therapeutic exercise, promoting physical fitness while reducing stress. Across China and beyond, its practitioners can be seen gathered in parks and other public spaces, moving slowing in unison through prescribed routines.

But that very popularity is adding to its advocates’ concerns. During the recently concluded session of the National People’s Congress, a delegate from Henan, Zhang Liyong, stressed the urgency of the matter.

“Both South Korea and Japan are competing with us to get tai chi registered,” Zhang told reporters. “Especially South Korea. Some people there are claiming tai chi was invented by Koreans. And since South Korea has already registered the Dragon Boat Festival as theirs, we should be alarmed.”

China’s Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan with boat races and a public holiday. When Unesco added South Korea’s Gangneung Danoje Festival to its list in 2008, some Chinese objected that it was derived from the Dragon Boat Festival and accused the UN of endorsing Koreans’ appropriation of Chinese culture. The Chinese festival was accepted in 2009.

Recognition confers prestige rather than a monetary prize. But that prestige means a lot to Yan. So far, he has not heard whether the Chinese government will nominate tai chi, and he says he is getting anxious. The deadline is March 31.

“No news is bad news,” he said.

When China drew up its own national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006, tai chi was on it. And in 2008, tai chi was among China’s 35 nominations to Unesco. But Yan and his associates were told that Unesco found the application “too vague.” They were asked to revise and resubmit it.

They withdrew it, hoping to offer it for consideration the next year. But then the rules changed. No country could submit more than two candidates. Tai chi was shut out when China nominated Peking opera and acupuncture, both of which won Unesco recognition.

“Since then,” Yan lamented, “tai chi has never stood out on the long list of Chinese heritage items waiting for inclusion.”

Among the items that have won Unesco recognition for China in recent years are shadow puppetry and mathematical calculations based on the abacus.

The nominations are submitted to Unesco by the Ministry of Culture’s intangible cultural heritage Centre. Reached by telephone, a researcher at the centre, who declined to give her name, said it would not be convenient to discuss which candidates would be put forward this year.

Zhang Jian, a 57-year-old tai chi master in Beijing, said it would be a shame if tai chi failed again to be nominated.

“When people talk about kung fu, they usually think of the Shaolin Temple,” Zhang said, referring to the temple and its monks in Dengfeng County, Henan province, popularised in martial arts movies. “But Shaolin kung fu is more about performance. Tai chi is different. It’s all about personal practice and deserves more attention.”

Yan said he would keep up the campaign to win wider global recognition for Chinese tai chi.

“Compared with many other aspects of Chinese culture, tai chi is relatively practical and could help China expand its soft power,” he said. “Even our astronauts practised tai chi, so we’ve already made it into outer space!

source : gulfnews

 

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

tai chi encourages calm so why are its fans stressing out tai chi encourages calm so why are its fans stressing out

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

tai chi encourages calm so why are its fans stressing out tai chi encourages calm so why are its fans stressing out

 



GMT 21:16 2016 Monday ,27 June

Zaki Badr discusses cleaning problem in Giza

GMT 21:46 2017 Saturday ,14 January

Turkey arrests 60 businessmen for alleged Gulen ties

GMT 22:38 2017 Friday ,24 March

Abbas meets with Merkel in Berlin

GMT 09:02 2017 Monday ,27 March

Tunisian Premier Concludes Visit to Sudan

GMT 15:54 2017 Friday ,01 September

Attorney General Directs Prosecutors to inspect Prison

GMT 09:22 2017 Sunday ,31 December

HM King condoles with Afghanistan President

GMT 10:12 2016 Wednesday ,06 April

Strong dollar, mild weather shrink H&M profits

GMT 17:03 2016 Saturday ,24 December

7 police killed in attacks in Afghansitan

GMT 13:51 2017 Friday ,17 March

Israel denies Syria shot down a warplane

GMT 04:08 2017 Thursday ,05 January

Carbon tax can fund clean energy transition

GMT 19:27 2016 Wednesday ,14 September

Alstom to go ahead with plans to shut down Belfort plant

GMT 01:44 2017 Friday ,15 December

Mennat-Allah underlines importance of landscapes

GMT 04:57 2017 Thursday ,14 December

Trump tells NASA to send Americans to Moon

GMT 21:43 2017 Wednesday ,11 October

Qabil discusses with Swiss delegation improving power

GMT 21:06 2017 Sunday ,17 September

OIC condemns suicide attack in Kabul

GMT 08:27 2017 Thursday ,27 April

Nokia reports another loss as networks sag

GMT 19:41 2017 Monday ,06 February

Elina Svitolina Claims Taiwan Open Title

GMT 09:39 2017 Friday ,03 February

Former Brazilian president Lula's wife dies of stroke
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday