Tai chi cultural heritage experience held in Beijing temple

Intangible cultural heritage enthusiasts met at Beijing White Cloud Taoist Temple on July 22 to learn about Taoism and experience tai chi.

The activity was organized by the Great Seed, a global community platform targeting all people interested in intangible cultural heritage to communicate about, share, experience and inherit intangible cultural heritage worldwide.

Xin Hao, a Taoist monk who was responsible for the spiritual practice project of Tai Chi Home, gave participants a cordial reception and led them around the temple to introduce Taoism, sharing the history of Taoism and the temple.

While walking around the temple, he said that Beijing White Cloud Taoist Temple was originally called "Heavenly Long Temple"and built in 741, the 29th year under the reign of Emperor Xuanzong in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). Now it has been listed as a historical site under the protection of the Chinese government and houses the Chinese Taoist Association, the Institute of Chinese Taoist Culture, the Chinese Taoist College and the Editorial Department of the Journal of Chinese Taoism.

The temple, which has 19 halls, draws visitors to pray for wealth, health, marriage, children and academic achievement.

Xin also introduced how Taoists would hold their hands to worship Taoist gods, using two hands folded together with a thumb going through the other fist like the Eight Diagrams, a symbol of Taoism.