World Tai Chi and Qigong Day
Encyclopedia
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day (WTCQD), also spelled World T'ai Chi and Ch'i Kung Day, is an annual event held the last Saturday of April each year to promote the related disciplines of T'ai chi ch'uan and Qigong
in sixty countries since 1999.
The mission of this multinational effort is ongoing, to expose people to the growing body of medical research related to traditional Chinese medicine
and direct them to teachers in their home towns. The global WTCQD directory found at www.worldtaichiday.org doesn't screen or recommend the teachers it lists based on any vetting process or discriminate between T'ai Chi Ch'uan or Qigong styles over others. The directory is an open directory anyone can post to.
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day also acts as a public, government, and media source for information on those disciplines, and works in conjunction with such divergent institutions as the National Council on the Aging, The National Parkinson's Foundation Annual Conference, the Fibromyalgia
Coalition International, Folsom Prison (Maximum Security Prison in California), Rotary Clubs International, etc.
In 2009, World Tai Chi & Qigong Day will conduct a presentation and lecture on "Tai Chi & Qigong as Preventative Health Tools" to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C. In 2009 the NIH website announced World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 2009. http://nccam.nih.gov/news/thismonth/april09.htm
The annual April event is open to the general public, and begins in the earliest time zones of New Zealand
at 10 am, and then participants across Oceania
, Asia
, Africa
, Europe
, North America
, and South America
take part, with celebrations in sixty nations and several hundred cities, ending with the final events in the last time zones of Hawaii
almost an entire day later. Celebrations include mass t'ai chi ch'uan and qigong exhibitions in many cities, and free classes in most participating cities.
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day's stated goals are to:
1) Educate the world about emerging medical research revealing health benefits that t'ai chi ch'uan and qigong offer.
2) Educate about the increasing use of these ancient traditional Chinese medicine
modalities in business, education, penal and drug rehabilitation.
3) Provide a global vision of cooperation for health & healing purposes across geopolitical boundaries, and also an appeal to people worldwide to embrace wisdom from all the cultures of the world.
World Health Organization
(UNWHO) for participation in the UNWHO's "Move for Health" movement, and World Tai Chi and Qigong Day has been officially proclaimed by governors for their states including the US states of California
, Connecticut
, Georgia
, Illinois
, Kansas
, Maryland
, Massachusetts
, Missouri
, Nebraska
, Nevada
, New Jersey
, North Carolina
, Ohio
, Oklahoma
, Pennsylvania
, Texas
, and Utah
. Senates and legislatures have officially proclaimed World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, including the Senate of the state of New York
, the Senate and Legislature of the state of New Jersey
, California's State Assembly, and in 2005 the national Senate of Puerto Rico
proclaimed "Dia Mundial de Tai Chi y Qigong" (World Tai Chi and Qigong Day) for Puerto Rico.
Mayors of many major cities have also officially proclaimed World Tai Chi and Qigong Day for their cities, including South Buenos Aires
(Argentina
), Austin Texas
, Osasco (Brazil
or Brasil), Cupertino (California), El Paso
(Texas), Hastings (Nebraska), Pemberton and Willingboro (New Jersey), Patchogue & Rochester (New York), San Angelo (Texas), Scranton & York (Pennsylvania
), St. Louis (Missouri), St. Augustine (Florida
), Toledo (Ohio
), Asheville (North Carolina
), and Suffolk County (New York).
In 2009 the founders of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day, Bill Douglas and Angela Wong-Douglas, were inducted into the Internal Arts Hall of Fame at an official induction ceremony of the 34th annual Zhang San Fang Festival in New York.
The local events are independently organized by local Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong schools, groups, and associations. The format of events varies by locality, although most involve free classes and mass exhibitions. International organizing for the event is done at the World Tai Chi and Qigong Day office in Overland Park, Kansas
.
in 1998 on the lawn of the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in midtown Kansas City, where the Kansas City Tai Chi Club held a mass Tai Chi exhibition and teach-in involving nearly two-hundred people. CNN Headline News
covered the event, which generated interest beyond Kansas City to quickly grow into a national and international event in the following years.
This global healing event, in turn, inspired what is now known as World Healing Day
.
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
in sixty countries since 1999.
The mission of this multinational effort is ongoing, to expose people to the growing body of medical research related to traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
and direct them to teachers in their home towns. The global WTCQD directory found at www.worldtaichiday.org doesn't screen or recommend the teachers it lists based on any vetting process or discriminate between T'ai Chi Ch'uan or Qigong styles over others. The directory is an open directory anyone can post to.
World Tai Chi & Qigong Day also acts as a public, government, and media source for information on those disciplines, and works in conjunction with such divergent institutions as the National Council on the Aging, The National Parkinson's Foundation Annual Conference, the Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure. It is an example of a diagnosis of exclusion...
Coalition International, Folsom Prison (Maximum Security Prison in California), Rotary Clubs International, etc.
In 2009, World Tai Chi & Qigong Day will conduct a presentation and lecture on "Tai Chi & Qigong as Preventative Health Tools" to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C. In 2009 the NIH website announced World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 2009. http://nccam.nih.gov/news/thismonth/april09.htm
Overview
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
at 10 am, and then participants across Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
take part, with celebrations in sixty nations and several hundred cities, ending with the final events in the last time zones of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
almost an entire day later. Celebrations include mass t'ai chi ch'uan and qigong exhibitions in many cities, and free classes in most participating cities.
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day's stated goals are to:
1) Educate the world about emerging medical research revealing health benefits that t'ai chi ch'uan and qigong offer.
2) Educate about the increasing use of these ancient traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
modalities in business, education, penal and drug rehabilitation.
3) Provide a global vision of cooperation for health & healing purposes across geopolitical boundaries, and also an appeal to people worldwide to embrace wisdom from all the cultures of the world.
Official recognition
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day events have been recognized by the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(UNWHO) for participation in the UNWHO's "Move for Health" movement, and World Tai Chi and Qigong Day has been officially proclaimed by governors for their states including the US states of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Senates and legislatures have officially proclaimed World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, including the Senate of the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the Senate and Legislature of the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, California's State Assembly, and in 2005 the national Senate of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
proclaimed "Dia Mundial de Tai Chi y Qigong" (World Tai Chi and Qigong Day) for Puerto Rico.
Mayors of many major cities have also officially proclaimed World Tai Chi and Qigong Day for their cities, including South Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
(Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
), Austin Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Osasco (Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
or Brasil), Cupertino (California), El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
(Texas), Hastings (Nebraska), Pemberton and Willingboro (New Jersey), Patchogue & Rochester (New York), San Angelo (Texas), Scranton & York (Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
), St. Louis (Missouri), St. Augustine (Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
), Toledo (Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
), Asheville (North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
), and Suffolk County (New York).
In 2009 the founders of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day, Bill Douglas and Angela Wong-Douglas, were inducted into the Internal Arts Hall of Fame at an official induction ceremony of the 34th annual Zhang San Fang Festival in New York.
Organization
The event's international organizing center provides information on Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong, including health research, information on how Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong relate to traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), what people new to Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong can expect when they attend classes, and video and audio samples of various Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong exercises and forms. The site also provides links to Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong publications, associations, schools, and groups in many states and countries, with a searchable database that lists schools by their country or US state. The site is viewable in nine languages with translation instructions via Yahoo! Babel Fish, although the translations can be difficult to decifer at times, but still useful.The local events are independently organized by local Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong schools, groups, and associations. The format of events varies by locality, although most involve free classes and mass exhibitions. International organizing for the event is done at the World Tai Chi and Qigong Day office in Overland Park, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
History
The global event began in 1999. However the first event, that inspired the global event, was held in Kansas City, MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1998 on the lawn of the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in midtown Kansas City, where the Kansas City Tai Chi Club held a mass Tai Chi exhibition and teach-in involving nearly two-hundred people. CNN Headline News
CNN Headline News
HLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News and CNN2, is a cable television news channel based in the United States and a spinoff of the cable news television channel, CNN. Initially airing tightly-formatted 30-minute newscasts around the clock, since 2005, the channel has increasingly aired long-form...
covered the event, which generated interest beyond Kansas City to quickly grow into a national and international event in the following years.
This global healing event, in turn, inspired what is now known as World Healing Day
World Healing Day
World Healing Day is a global human happening held in hundreds of cities in over 65 nations, the last Saturday of April each year, at 10 am local time worldwide.-World Healing Day's Reason for Formation:...
.
Photos of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day events
Comprehensive Photo Gallery:- 2009 and beyond - http://worldtaichiday.org/community/wtcqd/gallery.php
- 2006 - http://www.worldtaichiday.org/photos/2006WTCQD/2006Photos/WTCQDPHOTO2006.html
- 2005 - http://www.worldtaichiday.org/WTCQDPHOTO2005.html
Media links
- Xinhua (Official Chinese News Agency), 24 April 2010 - Brazil celebrates World Tai Chi Day http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-04/25/c_13266231.htm
- Waikato Times (New Zealand), 24 April 2010 - Hundreds Give Tai Chi a Go http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/3622616/Hundreds-give-exercises-a-go