Intriguing art has 'captured the world's imagination'

In an increasingly popular event, people gathered in parks worldwide on Saturday to imitate snakes and cranes, stand on one leg like a golden rooster or emulate a dragon diving into the sea.

These joyful animal imitators, on the same day the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation wrapped up in Beijing, were celebrating another Chinese achievement that's likewise had an unmistakable global influence: tai chi.

The event, World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, for which enthusiasts amass on the last Saturday in April each year to exhibit and promote tai chi and discuss the numerous benefits of the Chinese health and martial art, marked its 20th anniversary this year.