Shaolin kung fu has been making a continued bid - see our UNESCO and the politics of culture thread.
CPPCC member calls on Tai Chi to bid for World Cultural Heritage
* Source: Global Times
* [18:06 January 20 2011]


Photo taken on December 27, 2010 shows an American policewoman practicing Tai Chi following her master in Baoding, Hebei Province.

A member of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from Henan Province said it is necessary for Tai Chi, an "internal" Chinese martial art form to bid as World Cultural Heritage, the China News Agency reported on Wednesday.

Statistics shows the number of Tai Chi exercisers reaches around 300 million from home and abroad, said the report.

The beauty of Tai Chi (literally "supreme ultimate fist") movements is derived from its 2,000-year-old history as an "internal" Chinese martial art form, which redirects energy, or 'qi', used by attackers against them. Although this is a more indirect martial arts approach compared to the aggressive and explosive movements of Shaolin Kung Fu, it can still be used with deadly intent.


Photo taken on May 23, 2010 shows competitors performing Tai Chi in Qingzhou, Shandong Province.