A Hotbed of Tai Chi

by Liu Haile

Jingdezhen is often spoken in the same breath as ceramics. The millennium-old city in southwestern Chinas Jiangxi Province has long been known as the “capital of porcelain.”However， fewer people are aware that martial arts – especially tai chi （shadow boxing）， a Chinese traditional cultural icon on par with porcelain – have also flourished in the ancient town for centuries.

On September 29， 2013， as part of the first Jingdezhen Martial Arts and Cultural Travel Festival， a large-scale joint performance combining tai chi with other martial arts was staged at Jingdezhen University.

“Lying like a fully-drawn bow， standing straight like a pine tree， sitting still like a bronze bell， and walking fast like a gale...” On the opening day of the festival， over 100 tai chi amateurs from eight troupes staged a tai chi fan dance to the song “Chinese Kung Fu” to kick off the celebration. Following it， performances featuring broadswords， tai chi boxing， tai chi swords， nunchakus， and Chinese qigong（a system of deep breathing exercises） all aroused thunderous applause.

The joint show involved nearly 1，000 performers， ranging from only five years old up to 80. All are registered members of Jingdezhen Martial Arts Association and Jingdezhen Tai Chi Association. Local residents have long preserved fondness for martial arts. Particularly， tai chi has thrived as one of the citys most popular sports for decades. An official with the citys Tai Chi Association explained that this years Martial Arts and Cultural Travel Festival was themed “Pursuing the Dream of Tai Chi and Enhancing Health with Martial Arts.” Originating in the Ming Dynasty（1368-1644）， tai chi has become an iconic symbol of traditional Chinese culture by incorporating a variety of boxing styles with Taoist philosophy. Due to its cultural connotations and healthy benefits， it has drawn increasing numbers of practitioners. So far， the association has registered nearly 2，000 members.

Along with continuously improved living standards， Chinese people are paying greater attention to their health. After millennia of development， today Chinese martial arts are rarely practical for combat， but continue to improve the health of their practitioners. As a rigorous physical activity that advocates balanced development of both the body and mind， tai chi is now practiced all over the world.

Early every morning， many people can be found exercising in Jingdezhens Changjiang Square. Accompanied by melodious music， some practice tai chi， while others perform various styles of Chinese fencing. While they exercise， they also hone their martial arts skills and preserve the practices for future generations.

A tai chi team often practices in the square. The head of the team， Mr. Mao， reveals that the teams membership has rocketed from 10 to 60， although its still new. Shu Jinhua， 79， has practiced tai chi for a dozen years. “Since I retired， Ive been coming here to practice tai chi and swords almost every day，” she grins. “Through exercise， my breathing and joints have both improved. More importantly， I meet many friends who share my hobby. With my improving health， I feel my life improving with each passing day.”