奇速英语

太极拳申遗成功！十余年努力终得回报

Tai chi, a centuries-old Chinese martial art and an internationally popular form of exercise, has been added to the cultural heritage list of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

For more than 10 years (its initial application was rejected in 2008) China has been trying to have tai chi — also known as taijiquan — recognised officially by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录). At the time, judges told China it had applied for too many listings for tai chi to be considered for a place. China was told to reduce its applications from the 12 submitted, which included tai chi, Shaolin kung fu, Peking opera and acupuncture(针灸), Tencent News reported.

According to the Mayo Clinic in the United States, doing tai chi can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, improve aerobic capacity, energy and stamina(耐力), enhance the immune system and relieve joint pain. “Taijiquan is not just a sport to make people fit, but also contains Chinese culture and philosophy,” researcher Yan Shuangjun also told Xinhua News Agency. “The application started in 2008, and now we made a victory, which will help this sport to reach more places.”

Tai chi has a massive, devoted global following. Millions of elderly Chinese people practise it every day in city parks, and celebrities and other public figures regularly make public references to their practice of it for the health benefits it is said to provide. Gisele Bündchen, one of the highest-paid models in the world, incorporates tai chi into her daily life, as does her husband, Tom Brady. Others who have been vocal about its use in their lives include actors Terence Stamp and Paul Adrian, Bollywood star Kunal Kapoor, and musician RZA of the Wu Tang Clan – to say nothing of its importance to martial artists such as Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Jet Li.