(Photosource:GuangmingPicture)“Taijiquan”wasinscribedontheUnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization(UNESCO)RepresentativeListofIntangibleCulturalHeritageofHumanityintheeveningofDecember17,attractingglobalattention.Entriesontheworld’sIntangibleCulturalHeritageListarethecommonculturalheritageofallhumanity.ThesuccessfulbidforTaijiquanmeansthatitwillreceivemoreattentionandsupport,andtherewillbemoreTaijiquanfansbothathomeandabroad.FortheinheritorsandlearnersofvariousschoolsofTaijiquaninJiaozuo,HenanProvince,thebirthplaceofit,thisisanencouragingmessage.ButforChina,thismeansgreaterresponsibilityforprotectingandinheritingTaijiquan.WiththecoreideaofTaijiandthedialecticalconceptofYinandYanginChinesetraditionalConfucianandTaoistphilosophies,Taijiquanisnotonlyatraditionalboxingtechnique,butalsoamassphysicalpracticeof“cultivatingone’stemperamentandstrengtheningone’shealth”andaculturalvehicleofsuchideasasarighteous,neutralandflexiblemind,andtheunityofmanandnature.Forthemajorityofpeople,themostcharmingpointofTaijiquanisthatitbarelyhasanyrestrictionsonskillsandplaces,anditcancreatearelaxingatmosphere.TaijiquanhasanextensivemassfoundationinChina,whichisthemostsignificantdifferencebetweenTaijiquanandother“endangered”culturalheritages.ThepopularityofTaijiquancanbeseenfromeitherthosepracticingitinparks,orthecharacteristicTaijiquancoursesinprimaryandsecondaryschools,eitherTaijiquanelementsatsomemajorsportingevents,orthespontaneousTaijiquancrazeinthestreets.Accordingtoincompletestatistics,Taijiquanhasspreadtomorethan150countriesandregions,andmorethan80countriesandregionshaveestablishedTaijiquanorganizations.WithitsentryontotheWorldHeritageList,therewillbemoreTaijiquanfansaroundtheworld.Itdoesn’tindicateTaijiquanwillbe“highbrow”and“narrower”,butisanopportunityforittowinmorepeople’sinterestinawaythatismoreinlinewiththepublicaesthetic.WhilecheeringforTaijiquan’ssuccess,wealsoneedtoremaininaweoftheTaijiquanculture.Theproportionofmiddle-agedandelderlypeopleislargeramongTaijiquanfans,which,however,doesn’tmeansthatit’sanold-people-sport.Onthecontrary,Taijiquanisknownforfacilitating“bothinternalandexternalcultivationandmoderaterelaxation”.ThisChinesecharmofitmakesitsuitabletoallagegroups.AnyconductofusingTaijiquantopleaseorconfusethepublicisessentiallytramplingontheintangibleculturalheritage,towhichweshouldstayalertandfirmlyopposed.Uptonow,Chinahas42entriesontheUNESCO’sintangibleculturalheritagelist,rankingfirstintheworld.Thisisagoodthing.Andforgoodthings,weChinesepeopletakeadialecticalattitudefeaturingbothjoyandfear.Joyrepresentsgratificationandfearisawe.WeneedtoretainasenseofaweandworryforTaijiquan,andresolutelypreventtheculturalheritagefrombeingruinedbyanyone.Thesuccessofapplyingfortheworldheritagestatusisnotan“unparalleledhonor”,butanewstartingpointforitsinheritanceandpromotioninprotection.Weshouldstriveformorepeople’sunderstanding,recognitionofandloveforTaijiquanthroughtheaesthetic“Disenchantment”andwithitsapproachableappearance.Bydoingthat,thetraditionalChinesecultureandvaluescarriedbyTaijiquanwillwidelyspreadaroundtheworldandbenefitallmankind.Author:LiSihui,adistinguishedresearcherinNewsReviewandResearchCenter,HuazhongUniversityofScienceandTechnologyTranslatedbyPanMeng