Over 160 international students from 50 countries gathered at Shanghai University for a tai chi friendship competition on Saturday, competing in various disciplines including tai chi quan, tai chi sword, and tai chi fan.
The inaugural Zhongning Plastic Industry Cup and 4th Tai Chi Friendship Competition for Shanghai International University Students drew participants from 16 universities across Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces, featuring both individual and team events.
"We hope this tai chi friendship competition deepens your understanding of traditional Chinese culture and provides opportunities for multicultural exchange and mutual learning," said Duan Yong, deputy Party secretary of Shanghai University, in the welcome speech.
In the team competition, the Shanghai University of Sport and the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine claimed top honors. The individual competition saw 15 students clinching first place, while 16 and 12 students won second and third prizes, respectively. Additionally, 15 students received merit awards.
Mathiopoulos Ioannis, a Greek student at the Shanghai University of Sport who contributed to his team's first-place victory, shared his journey of learning tai chi fan.
"Initially, it was challenging. We all struggled with dropping the fans. But gradually, I learned to think in the way of tai chi," he said.
EI Hassen Bollahi, a Mauritanian student at Shanghai University who began learning tai chi last year, secured second place in the 24-form yang-style tai chi competition.
"I'm motivated to explore everything about Chinese culture, as it aids my studies in International Chinese Education," he said.
During the awards ceremony, Gui Yonghao, executive vice-chairman of the Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association, emphasized tai chi's role as a key to understanding Chinese traditional culture. He encouraged participants to use this experience to grasp China's values of harmony in diversity and inclusiveness, serving as bridges for international cultural exchange.
The competition was jointly organized by the Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association and Shanghai University.
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