Yoga and tai chi fans converge on the ancient city of Xian

On 10 September 2019, Xian hosted celebrations dedicated to the Yoga and Tai Chi Day as part of the 2019 Euro-Asia Economic Forum.

The event was organised by China's SCO Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation Committee with support from the SCO Secretariat, as well as Xian's city administration.

Speakers at the opening ceremony included SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov, Vice President of the SCO Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation Committee Cui Li, and Deputy Mayor of Xian Wang Yong.

They noted that the forum attendees, especially the young people, were really interested in yoga and tai chi, the traditional gymnastics and wellness practices that are designed to improve the mind and spirit, and promote harmony with nature and the environment.

In particular, the SCO Secretary-General said that yoga and tai chi emerged in India and China, respectively, a long time ago, and for thousands of years had been helping people improve themselves, making them more resilient, balanced and optimistic. In fact, yoga and tai chi have much in common, since they are more than just a wellness practice and a martial art, and are more akin to philosophical teachings rooted in Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism.

"One of the SCO's current priorities in terms of education and culture is to work with young people and promote sports, based on the instruments adopted by the organisation. Specifically, in their Qingdao Declaration, the SCO heads of state stressed the importance of sports as an effective factor for facilitating dialogue between various peoples. It was also noted that marking the annual International Yoga Day would help further strengthen friendship, peace, mutual understanding and harmony," Mr Norov pointed out.

Vice President of the SCO Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation Committee Cui Li said she had no doubt that events of this kind brought countries and their people closer together. "We strongly believe that the Yoga and Tai Chi Day, as well as other sports events will promote closer people-to-people ties across the SCO space, as well as the Shanghai Spirit. Mutual trust, equality, equal rights, respecting cultural diversity and joint development for more than 3 billion people living in SCO member states will not fail to have a positive impact on the rest of the world population," she said.

More than 300 yoga and tai chi fans took part in the event alongside government officials, members of the SCO Ambassadors Club, public activists and the media.