Tai Chi is witnessing a surge in popularity in Switzerland, with a growing number of participants drawn to its benefits for physical fitness, harmony and flexibility.
A centuries-old Chinese martial art focusing on both internal and external practices, Tai Chi involves a series of slow, gentle movements and physical postures, a meditative state of mind, and controlled breathing. In Dec 2020, Tai Chi was officially recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. This recognition has further fueled its growth, with total practitioners now estimated to reach 300 million worldwide.
Switzerland has incorporated alternative medicines into basic health insurance since 2009, promoting an increase in the adoption of traditional Chinese medicine, including Tai Chi.
Master Ken Wong has dedicated 20 years to practicing and teaching Tai Chi in Geneva. He honed his skills in Yang-style Tai Chi under the guidance of the renowned Chinese master Chen Sitan in New York.
Yang-style Tai Chi is known for its slow, graceful and flowing movements, emphasizing health and balance.
Over the years Wong has witnessed a significant increase in the popularity of Tai Chi in Geneva, especially within local communities.
"Many, many groups, because the Chinese groups are not too much, maybe one or two. My club is another one. Many masters are European, not Chinese. Many Europeans want to know the Chinese culture," said Wong.
For the past 15 years, Wong has held Tai Chi classes every Sunday for 15 years now. During winter, his students practice in a shopping center, while summer sessions are held in a park.
The class draws some 30 participants each week. Students vary widely in age and nationality, including those from Switzerland, France, Spain, Chile, China and Vietnam.
"It's an exercise of the whole body, and you can stimulate every part of your body also in your organs by doing the right gesture," said Hu Haiwen, one of the participants.
"I feel energy all around me when we are doing Tai Chi and this energy is actually giving me a special feeling, like in my mind or in my physical body. It means that I feel alive," said Natalia Ducrey, another participant.
Tai Chi gains popularity in Switzerland
China's outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), adopted on Thursday, maps out a systematic path toward high-quality development by building new growth drivers through the fostering of emerging and future industries.
In the latest five-year blueprint, the emerging strategic industries China will nurture have been expanded to include new sectors like intelligent connected new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and robotics. It also outlines plans to establish emerging strategic industry clusters tailored to local conditions, each with its own distinctive features and complementary strengths.
Experts suggested that this marks a shift for emerging industries -- from isolated breakthroughs to scaled, clustered development.
"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we aim to further promote and expand emerging industries in both scale and quality. The development of industrial clusters is a clear reflection of economies of scale. Building on the existing foundation, this will further sharpen the international competitiveness of our emerging industries. The blueprint's emphasis on new application scenarios and innovative business models will also help steer these industries toward a higher quality of development," said Wei Qijia, a researcher at the State Information Center, which is under China's National Development and Reform Commission.
The plan also identifies key frontiers to reach, including quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen and nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, embodied artificial intelligence (AI) and 6G. Moving beyond mere technological roadmaps, it also stresses the need to build a full-chain incubation system for future industries.
"This forward-looking approach reflects a keen sense of foresight. The plan introduces mechanisms for identifying and monitoring emerging industries and making dynamic adjustments accordingly. If a particular new area or arena shows potential to foster emerging future technologies, it needs to be identified as early as possible. The blueprint's specific references to initiatives such as pilot zones for future industries and research institutes dedicated to their development also signal an important direction in terms of working methodology -- providing clear guidance on how to nurture the industries of the future," he said.
China's five-year blueprint set to foster emerging, future industries
