Bozhou city, Anhui province, has begun preparations for the China (Bozhou) International Qigong Exposition and the fifth Hua Tuo Five-Animal Exercises Festival.

Chang Jianping and Huang Linghai, head and general secretary, respectively, of the health Qigong management center of General Sport Administration of China, accompanied by Gao Weiling, member of the Party committee in the Anhui Sports Bureau, investigated the preparation work of the fifth Hua Tuo Five-Animal Exercises Health Festival on April 12.

Bozhou has held two China International Qigong Expositions and four Hua Tuo Five-Animal Exercises Festivals. In 2012, the establishment of the International Health Qigong Federation (IHQF) marked the globalization of qigong. In the meantime, in Bozhou, more and more people are striving to spread the five-animal exercises. A training session of the five-animal exercises was held in Qiaocheng district, Bozhou city, on April 16. Over 300 PE teachers and tutors from schools in the district took part in the training.

The five-animal exercises created by Hua Tuo were a set of medical qigong (breathing exercises) mainly characterized by imitating animal actions and expressions in order to prevent and cure illness and prolong life. The five-animal exercises in Chinese is wuqinxi, in which the qin generally refers to all animals including birds and beasts. Hua Tuo was the person who systemized the exercises and promoted it to the public.

The annual International Health Qigong Exposition and Hua Tuo Five-Animal Exercises Festival aims to further enlarge the influence of qigong and five-animal exercises in the world.

Preparations start for fifth Five-Animal Exercises Festival