China and Sweden jointly welcome the United Nations’ “International Taijiquan Day”

On March 17, 2026, to welcome the first “International Taijiquan Day” established by UNESCO, a unique “Martial Passion Cultural Soul — Chinese Martial Arts Showcase” was successfully held in Sweden. The event was jointly organized by the China Cultural Center in Stockholm, the Swedish Wushu Federation, and the China International Culture Exchange Center, attracting many local martial arts enthusiasts and the public.

In late 2025, UNESCO officially passed a resolution to designate the third Saturday of March each year as “International Taijiquan Day,” aiming to promote global understanding of Taijiquan as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity and to appreciate the Eastern wisdom of “harmony between nature and humanity” and “harmonious coexistence” behind it. As the birthplace of Taijiquan, China actively promotes this cultural treasure to the world. This performance event in Sweden serves as a bridge of martial arts to deepen cultural exchange and spiritual communication between the peoples of China and Sweden.

Showcase + Experience
Up close with the charm of Tai Chi

The event was hosted by Peter Finsio, President of the Swedish Wushu Federation. In his welcoming speech, he stated that the philosophical ideas embodied in Tai Chi are particularly precious in today’s world, and he hoped that the event would allow more Swedish friends to appreciate the profoundness of Chinese martial arts.

The performance team for this event boasted an impressive lineup, personally led by Professor Wu Dong, Dean of the Chinese Ethnic Traditional Sports Research Institute at Beijing Sport University. Professor Wu Dong is not only a doctoral supervisor and a Beijing Municipal Teaching Master but also an internationally renowned Wushu expert. He has traveled to over 30 countries worldwide to conduct Wushu teaching and cultural lectures. Accompanying him was a “dream team” composed of top Wushu talents: including Weng Yeming, a national-level athlete who won the runner-up title at the National Wushu Routines Championship; Xue Haomiao, a national championship winner; Liang Junxin, who has repeatedly won tai chi sword and tai chi boxing championships in domestic and international competitions; and Zheng Mingjie, who possesses rich international teaching experience and previously taught at the Confucius Institute in Norway. This team, combining academic authority with top-tier skills, brought an unprecedented Chinese Wushu feast to the Swedish audience.

During the performance, Professor Wu Dong’s Tai Chi demonstration was smooth and fluid, combining hardness and softness, with each movement showcasing the beauty of Yin-Yang balance; team members displayed traditional weapons such as sabers, staffs, and whips, demonstrating both power and skill, which was dazzling to behold; the close-quarters combat segment allowed the audience to directly experience the practical wisdom and adaptability of martial arts. The audience continuously applauded, exclaiming “exciting”.

After the performance, the event entered the interactive experience session. Professor Wu Dong personally guided the audience to learn the basic movements of Tai Chi. He began by discussing the differences between Eastern and Western sports cultures, pointing out: “The Western Olympic spirit pursues ‘faster, higher, stronger,’ while Chinese martial arts emphasize ‘you are high, I am low; you are fast, I am slow; you are strong, I am gentle.’ This is a different way of understanding the world.” Subsequently, he meticulously broke down the essentials of each movement, leading everyone from the opening posture to cloud hands, experiencing the tranquility and harmony of Tai Chi in each move and form.

Using boxing as a medium
Deepening China-Sweden cultural 
and people-to-people exchanges

Many participants said it was their first time to understand the philosophical connotations of Taijiquan so closely and systematically. A Swedish martial arts enthusiast said with emotion: “It turns out that Tai Chi is not just a way to exercise, but also a way to talk to oneself.”

This event is not only a themed practice to welcome the first “International Taijiquan Day”, but also opens a window for Swedish friends to understand Chinese culture with martial arts as the medium and culture as the soul, and writes a vivid and warm stroke for China-Sweden cultural exchanges.