Chongqing - The 2023 Belt and Road Heart to Heart Health Qigong Lecture Series recently concluded in Pisa, Italy. The series witnessed participation from a team of teachers from the Shanghai University of Physical Education and Sports, instructors from the Confucius Institute in Pisa, Italian Fitness Qigong Association members, and Health Qigong promotion cadres and students.
The closing ceremony in Pisa, Italy. (Photo/Zhang Jiawen, The Istituto Confucio di Pisa)
The program ran from April to July, covering China and Italy, and encompassed a mix of online lectures and offline training, providing a fantastic months-long fitness qigong event. An offline lecture in Pisa, Italy, included Mawangdui gongfu training, Wuqiqiu opera training, international segment examination, and the closing ceremony. The atmosphere was buoyant and jubilant, and participants actively interacted and exchanged experiences, demonstrating a robust sense of camaraderie and unity.
A participant is learning the basic moves during the Health Qigong lecture in Pisa, Italy. (Photo/Zhang Jiawen, The Istituto Confucio di Pisa)
The event aimed to propagate traditional Chinese health culture. The event intended to cater to the fitness needs of health Qigong enthusiasts worldwide and promote global healthy lifestyle sharing and adoption through exchanges with countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Filippo Bedini, a councilor overseeing sports in Pisa, Italy, attended the Mawangdui Qigong training and delivered a speech.
Filippo Bedini, a councilor in charge of sports in Pisa, Italy, attended the Mawangdui Qigong training. (Photo/Zhang Jiawen, The Istituto Confucio di Pisa)
The closing ceremony took place at the Confucius Institute in Pisa, co-founded by Chongqing University and the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in 2008. The Institute has been dedicated to promoting Chinese language instruction, spreading Chinese culture, fostering China-Italy cultural exchanges, and deepening mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries' populations. It serves as a platform for academic, cultural, and scientific cooperation between the two countries' universities and institutions and acts as a crucial pivot for Tuscan enterprises to strengthen economic cooperation with China.
The effective and organic promotion of Chinese culture heightens local people's understanding and knowledge of the Chinese language and culture, deepening their appreciation for traditional Chinese culture and positively influencing the Confucius Institute's further development of Chinese language instruction and promotion of Chinese culture. Chongqing University's Sichuan Opera Tour and Table Tennis Summer Camp were warmly received and achieved considerable social impact.
Since the Belt and Road initiative was proposed ten years ago, exchange and cooperation among countries along the route have deepened across various fields such as economy, culture, and tourism. Health Qigong practitioners and enthusiasts from relevant countries and regions have also collaborated to create a platform for Health Qigong exchanges, achieving impressive results over time.
"We hope that international exchanges and cooperation in Health Qigong along the Belt and Road will continue to deepen and make greater contributions to the physical and mental health of humanity and social progress," said Huang Yunlin, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute in Pisa.