Taijiquan joins UNESCO heritage list

Taijiquan joins UNESCO heritage list

China's taijiquan, also known as tai chi - a major part of the stunning opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and represented by numerous practitioners worldwide - was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Thursday.

On its website, UNESCO described the cultural icon as " a traditional physical practice characterized by relaxed, circular movements that work in harmony with breath regulation and the cultivation of a righteous and neutral mind" .

It was added to the UNESCO list during the 15th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Taijiquan, which originated during the mid-17th century in Wenxian county in Jiaozuo, Henan province, is practiced throughout the country by people of all ages and ethnic groups, according to UNESCO's website.

Influenced by Taoist and Confucian thought and theories of traditional Chinese medicine, the practice has developed into several schools or styles named after a clan or a master's personal surname, such as Chen style or Yang style.