Tai Chi master brings health and harmony to Xizang

Xinhua2025-08-28 17:10

　　Dachung (L) guides trainees to practice Tai Chi, on Aug. 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Pan Yijing)

　　LHASA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- At dawn in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, on a small square tucked between apartment blocks, a group of residents moves in unison. Their arms sweep in wide arcs, their steps slide across the ground like waves. In front of them stands 65-year-old Dachung. The practitioners mirror his every motion.

　　For his students, many of them retirees, this is the best part of their day. For Dachung, it's a mission that has stretched for a decade.

　　The 65-year-old man is the chairman of the regional Wushu association, a sixth-generation inheritor of Yang-style Tai Chi. Since 2015, he has offered free training sessions in cities and counties throughout the region, drawing thousands of learners.

　　Dachung's personal journey with Tai Chi began in the 1990s with an unlikely teacher - an old audio cassette. With only the muffled instructions of a recording, he pieced together an imagined picture of the ancient martial art.

　　Years later, while working in the city of Nagqu, northern Xizang, he encountered Tai Chi master Tahsi, whose flowing movements left a deep impression. Inspired, he began formal study, seeking guidance from several renowned practitioners.

　　For Dachung, Tai Chi has always been more than exercise. "It nurtures the body and the mind. And it also enriches people's lives," he explained. "It teaches stillness and movement, calm and strength. It's a tradition that everyone can share."

　　In a park in Lhasa, people perform the traditional Guozhuang, on Aug. 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)

　　81-year-old Dudul beams as she recalls joining four years ago. "Practicing Tai Chi together is so much better than being alone at home," she said. "It keeps my body strong, but it also gives me friends and joy." Now, the octogenarian is capable of completing a set of Tai Chi by herself.

　　In Lhasa alone, the number of Tai Chi practitioners has grown from just a handful to well over a thousand. "Whenever we need, teacher Dachung comes without hesitation," said 66-year-old Buchung, one of Dachung's pupils. "His explanations are clear and easy to follow, and people love his teaching."

　　Dachung insists that practice goes beyond the training ground. He took his students to festival celebrations, parks and national events. In 2017, he led a team on behalf of Xizang to compete at China's 13th National Games. This year, he will be the coach of the region's athletes for the 15th National Games.

　　Dachung (2nd R) leads trainees to Wudang Mountain, in central China's Hubei Province, to attend a Tai Chi class. (Handout via Xinhua)

　　Looking back, Dachung sees his work as part of Xizang's broader transformation. "From the days when people struggled for food and clothing to now, when the elderly can enjoy health and happiness, I have witnessed tremendous change," he says.

　　Health has become a growing priority across the plateau, and public spaces now double as open-air gyms. In the morning, groups stretch under blue skies, practicing Tai Chi. When evening comes, city squares fill with crowds dancing to the beat of traditional Guozhuang. The rhythm of fitness runs through communities, reflecting a society increasingly committed to health and vitality.

　　Off the practice floor, Dachung pores over books and online lectures, refining his understanding of how standing still and moving forward complement each other. Watching more and more Tibetans embrace Tai Chi fills him with pride. "I will keep doing this and bring health and happiness to more people in Xizang."