Taijiquan

Taijiquan, also known as tai chi chuan or tai chi, is a set of traditional Chinese martial arts that has its theoretical roots in Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and ancient ideas about exercise and medicine. Its exercising and attacking techniques are practiced following the taiji and yin-yang theories. There is no conclusion about the origin of Taijiquan yet, but some argue that it was created in Chenjiagou Village in Jiaozhuo, Henan Province.

A combination of elements of various boxing schools, Taijiquan is known for its reserved and flowing style that emphasizes overcoming the hard with the soft and balancing the swift with the slow. Practitioners control their whole body with the will and keep practicing till reaching an ultimate realm of unity of the will, qi (an internal force or power), body, and mind, thus achieving physical, mental and moral advancement.

The philosophical concepts and regimen contained in Taijiquan, such as the "cycle of yin and yang" and "man is an integral part of nature," enrich people's perception of the universe, nature, and the way that the human body works. The values such as "respecting the teacher and moral norms" and "boxing practitioners should never be arrogant and conceited" make people peaceful, inclusive, and kind. Taijiquan plays an important role in promoting people's physical and mental health, fostering harmonious interpersonal relations, and enhancing social cohesion.

Taijiquan is now practiced by over 300 million people in more than 150 countries and regions. It is one of the forms of martial arts and fitness activities with the most followers and greatest popularity and has become a bond of cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. In December 2020, it was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

太極拳

太極拳是以中國傳統文化中的儒、釋、道、武、醫等思想為理論基礎，以太極陰陽哲理為健身和技擊技術應用的指導思想而發展起來的一種中國傳統武術。太極拳的創始起源尚未有定論，一說起源于河南省焦作市陳家溝村。

太極拳綜合歷代各家拳法，形成了含蓄內斂、連綿不斷、以柔克剛、急緩相間、行云流水的拳術風格。習練者用意念統領全身，通過反復習練，進入意、氣、形、神趨于圓融一體的至高境界，達到修身養性、陶冶情操、強身健體、益壽延年的目的。

太極拳所蘊含的“陰陽循環”“天人合一”的中國傳統哲學思想和養生觀念，豐富了人們對宇宙、自然和人體運行規律的認知；“尊師重道”“學拳不可狂、不可滿”等價值觀念，潛移默化地涵養著人們平和、包容、友善的心性，在促進身心健康、推動人與人和諧共處、增強社會凝聚力等方面發揮著重要作用。

目前，太極拳已傳播到150多個國家和地區，習練者達三億多人，是世界上參與人數最多、最受人們喜愛的武術運動和健身活動之一，成為促進中外文化交流的重要紐帶。2020年12月，太極拳被列入聯合國教科文組織“人類非物質文化遺產代表作名錄”。