Old wisdom of balance shines anew

Shaped by ancient Chinese philosophy, the practice of taijiquan can help foster inner composure and mutual understanding across civilizations

Over the centuries, taijiquan, or tai chi, has evolved from being a combat-oriented martial art form — rooted in traditional Chinese principles of yin and yang equilibrium and flexible resistance, and practiced by a relatively small circle — into an everyday practice that emphasizes physical health, mental well-being and harmonious living.

Unlike its combative origins, modern international taijiquan competitions are not fighting sports. They judge athletes on the execution of choreographed routines, assessing form, balance, rhythm and flow. The sport's growing popularity was vividly demonstrated in April at the fifth World Taijiquan Championships in Burgas, Bulgaria, which drew 400 athletes from 44 countries and regions — up from 320 participants from 32 nations and regions in the previous edition in Singapore. This November, taijiquan will reach another historic milestone when it becomes an official medal event at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.

In recent years, greater evidence has emerged that taijiquan has transcended its martial arts origins to become a cross-cultural lifestyle, embraced by people seeking relief from constant strain and a gateway to mutual understanding across divides.

In 2020, UNESCO inscribed taijiquan on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Last year, UNESCO designated March 21 as International Taijiquan Day, the first UN-recognized international day named after a martial art.

Against the backdrop of intensified cultural competition and widespread societal anxiety, the centuries-old practice delivers humble, tangible lessons for individuals and communities striving to build gentler, more harmonious human connections.

Rooted in intertwined traditional thought, taijiquan embeds the core Taoist ideas of yin and yang equilibrium and the Confucian preference for moderate coexistence within every shift of weight and turn of the limbs. Its accessible, body-based wisdom requires no complex academic background, making it uniquely capable of bridging gaps between disparate communities across continents.

Statistics from China's national sports authority confirm taijiquan attracts regular enthusiasts across more than 180 countries and regions. About 3 million overseas learners have become registered formal lineage disciples under certified Chinese masters, and thousands of international students travel each year to Wudang Mountain in Hubei province for long-term immersive training. Jake Pinnick, a practitioner from the United States, who obtained formal lineage certification after prolonged practice on Wudang Mountain, a Taoist holy site, exemplifies how consistent practice bridges cultural divides through shared, embodied experience.

Major countries including the US, Germany and Japan have built nationwide taijiquan or tai chi federations, arranging regular public courses and inter-city group events to share this harmony-centered practice with local residents.

This traditional wisdom has steadily woven itself into mainstream global daily life. Primary and secondary schools across multiple nations integrate taijiquan into scheduled break-time activities, while some universities list it as an official physical education elective.

Young people's surging enthusiasm for taijiquan may stem organically from their shared modern struggles and aspirations to find mental and physical equilibrium amid mounting daily pressures, rather than top-down promotion.

Confrontational mindsets continue to drive estrangement between neighbors, communities and nations, leaving people worldwide searching for simple, low-cost ways to rebuild mutual trust. Taijiquan meets this demand by translating millennia-old Chinese philosophical values into repeatable everyday physical practice, prioritizing personal inner peace as the foundation of collective harmony.

Turning to its philosophical core, taijiquan embodies a foundational precept long embedded in Chinese thought: sustainable collective harmony invariably originates from individual inner tranquility. Texts from Taoist and Confucian classics all uphold this principle, which taijiquan brings to life through structured physical movement.

As practitioners flow through often slow, seamless routines, they gradually release built-up stress, irritation and latent hostility, stepping out of humanity's instinctive "fight or flight" defensive mode. Far from simple leisure or relaxation, each sequenced taijiquan motion guides practitioners toward balancing internal yin and yang energies, calming inner turmoil to foster a placid, compromise-oriented outlook that shapes how people interact with those around them.

Another philosophical pillar drawn from ancient Taoist thought centers on the enduring maxim from the Tao Te Ching: Gentleness prevails over rigidity, and pliability over brute strength. Rejecting the reflex to meet friction with head-on resistance, taijiquan trains practitioners to align with natural rhythms and respond flexibly and strategically when met with overwhelming force. This lesson comes to life during pushing-hands drills, in which practitioners anchor their core firmly while flexing appropriately against outside pressure.

Translated into everyday human interactions, this mindset offers a pragmatic blueprint for cross-group coexistence: hold fast to one's own identity and core values, yet respect the unique life paths and legitimate needs of others. This way of thinking stands as a gentle counterweight to zero-sum, adversarial mindsets that strain personal, community and cross-cultural bonds, taking measured flexibility not as weakness, but as thoughtful, sustainable conduct for shared living.

Adding to its universal appeal, taijiquan is also easy to pick up. Built around fundamental bodily actions familiar to every human being — standing, stepping and shifting weight — it easily crosses geographic and cultural divides without rigid entry barriers.

Unlike ideologies or spiritual traditions that demand strict doctrinal commitment, taijiquan requires no prior adherence to specific beliefs. Communication forged through shared body movement bypasses linguistic barriers, opening up an organic space for spontaneous mutual understanding among people of disparate cultural backgrounds.

International Taijiquan Day and its accompanying global celebrations now sit as a footnote to taijiquan's worldwide expansion. But the art's power to unite people operates independently of that single annual observance. The core insight behind the UN's institutional recognition shines brightly: Humanity universally craves practical tools to ease internal unrest and bridge divides, and taijiquan fills this grassroots need. It equips ordinary people with small, transformative personal qualities to engage others with patience and restraint.

Every opening and closing stance of taijiquan gently recalibrates a practitioner's emotional balance, and every calm-minded participant carries that balanced mindset into daily exchanges, adding incremental warmth and understanding to an increasingly volatile and fragmented social landscape.

As millions of people across the world embed harmony-focused ancient wisdom into their everyday lives through regular taijiquan practice, mutual respect may evolve from abstract ideal into a lived, accessible reality. Anchored in every extended breath and coordinated movement, humanity's collective pursuit of shared well-being develops into a persistent, embodied global practice — solid proof that age-old Chinese wisdom of balance can deliver gentle, practical guidance for people everywhere seeking kinder, more harmonious ways to live alongside one another.

Li Sile is the deputy dean and a professor at the School of Foreign Languages at Hubei University of Chinese Medicine. Zhang Xiaohui is an associate professor at Henan University.

The authors contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.