A day of healing and relaxation

Zhou also noted that promoting taijiquan aligns with the United Nations' sustainable development goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for people of all ages.

"Taijiquan has been practiced by Chinese people for hundreds of years, and its benefits have already been proven," he said. "Now we need to share it with people of different cultures around the world."

In recent years, Zhou has demonstrated the martial art at major international events and venues, including at the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, where the performances were met with positive feedback.

Earlier this month, he showcased taijiquan culture and led group practice at the 3rd China–ASEAN International Conference on Physical Fitness and Health Promotion, leaving a strong impression on participants.

Wudang Mountain, long regarded as a spiritual and martial arts center, has become a key hub in taijiquan's global exchange. The Wudang Mountain tourism economic special zone has established 57 martial arts promotion centers in 22 countries and regions, training more than 100,000 overseas students. Each year, practitioners from around the world travel to Wudang Mountain to study taijiquan at its source.

Yongnian, widely recognized as one of the most important places for Chinese taijiquan, continues to anchor this global journey. Since 1991, the city has hosted a taijiquan sports festival 15 times, providing an international platform for competition, performance, and exchange.

For local students such as Qiu Manman from Yongnian No 2 Middle School, taijiquan is not an abstract tradition, but a lived one."Taijiquan is a cultural imprint etched into our bones," Qiu said.

With the establishment of International Taijiquan Day, that imprint now extends far beyond its origins — carried through slow, deliberate movements into a shared global future.

liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn