Tai Chi takes world stage as China marks first International Taijiquan Day

A drone photo taken on March 21, 2026 shows a mass demonstration event of Taijiquan, a kind of Chinese traditional martial arts, in Yongnian District of Handan City, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Xinhua)

Nowadays, on streets or in alleys and parks in Handan, people young and old are seen practicing the exercise alone or in groups.

Chen Bing, president of the Chenjiagou International Tai Chi Academy in Chenjiagou, Wenxian County, Henan, is currently on a teaching tour in Europe.

He told Xinhua that he and many other Chen-style Taijiquan inheritors are dedicated to preserving and expanding the cultural scope of Tai Chi. To date, the Chenjiagou International Tai Chi Academy has established more than 30 branches across over 20 countries worldwide.

"Taijiquan is not just a form of exercise, but a spirit and a living style reshaping my body, mind and soul," said Dionysios Paraschos, a Greek disciple of Chen. "The instructors taught me to listen to my body and relax the muscles when I hadn't realized they were tense."