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Second International Day of Yoga celebrations in Southern China

Posted on: October 08, 2017 | Back | Print

The 2nd International Day of India (IDY) in Southern China was celebrated in five cities jointly organized by the Consulate General of India, Guangzhou with the local Municipality governments and other Yoga Institutes. The IDY celebrations included yoga classes, Yoga workshops, seminars, Indian cultural performances, presentations on Ayurveda and Tai Chi. Yoga is very popular in China and all streams of Yoga are taught and practiced in many privately managed institutes all over the country. ICCR and Yunnan Minzu University Kunming signed a MoU and have set up an India-China Yoga collage in Minzu University Kunming, Yunnan. ICCR has posted two Yoga Gurus from India and the college is doing very well promoting Yoga to the local people.

The celebration of 2nd International Day of Yoga was given wide pre-event publicity in the mainstream media, social media and mission’s website which resulted in creating awareness of the benefits of yoga among the population of Southern China.   The celebrations of 2nd IDY was held in five cities, Dujiangyan, Guangzhou, Kunming, Zhongshan and Xiamen.

Dujiangyan:

The 2nd IDY celebration in Dujiangyan was inaugurated on 17 June in at 1800 hrs at Fulong Guan Temple in Dujiangyan, the birth place of Taoism culture and Taichi of China. The inaugural ceremony of the five days Yoga classes/workshops and seminars which was one of the biggest events of IDY 2016 Yoga was jointly organized by Consulate General of India in Guangzhou in coordination with Chengdu and Dujiangyan Municipality governments. The Chengdu TV was the media partner for the event and choreographed and presented an impressive and memorable opening ceremony program for a gathering of more than three thousand people from all walks of life.

The inaugural ceremony included Yoga demonstrations by Chinese yoga students, cultural programme showcasing the cultural confluence of India and China (a combine performance of Yoga and Taichi) with Fulong Guan Temple forming the background. Shri Ajay Tokas a leading Ashtanga Yoga masters also performed advance asanas of Yoga which mesmerized the entire audience and received a standing ovation in appreciation of their grand performance. An Indian classical dance Kathak performance was presented by Mr Naven Kumar Sinha which was a treat to all audience. 

The five-day festival in Dujiangyan included intensive Yoga classes, seminars for Yoga lovers led by 13 Yoga Gurus arranged by Consulate General of India in Guangzhou. The biggest attraction of the 2nd India-China Yoga Festival was the popularity and participation by renowned yoga masters from four major yoga schools of India, i.e Iyengar, Ashtanga, Krishmacharya, and Hatha schools of Yoga. The Iyengar yoga was led by the most respected and famous yoga master in China Mr Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh assisted by Yogi Uday Vikram Bhosale, Shobha Suresh Shetty and Arti H Mehta. The Ashtanga School was represented by Yogi Ajay Tokas, Usha Rani Chittoor, Suvir Sharma, Pavithra and Olga    Iushkova. Yoga masters VM Janakiraman, Smt Geetha Krishnan and Oshayae represented Krishmacharya Yoga and Yogi Shri Sanjay Kumar represented Hatha Yoga. During the five days camp there were one thousand one hundred and fifty yoga enthusiasts from different parts of China who participated and learned yoga lessons from the greatest yoga masters.

Another important attraction of the 2nd IDY festival was the introduction of Ayurveda and confluence of Yoga and Tai Chi. Dr Suma Joshi an ayurvedic doctor who took classes on Ayurveda for the yoga practitioners. Ms. Zhou Yuan, a popular yoga expert from China, who combines yoga with a traditional Tai Chi also took part in the festival. Ms Zhou also shared her experience with the audience and discussed the charm of yoga and Tai Chi with Indian’s yoga masters. The introduction of Ayurveda doctor in the festival in Dujiangyan was an interesting facet of the festival of 2016, which was solely to create awareness and also popularize the complete healing system of ancient ancient Indian medical science to the Chinese audience. 

The grand ceremony was attended by Secretary of CPC Dujiangyan, Mayor of Dujiangyan, DGs of Chengdu and Dujiangyan Foreign Affairs Office, Municipal Committee and other senior officials from Chengdu and Dujiangyan governments. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony Consul General Sailas Thangal emphasized the importance of cultural powers of the east and the combination of Yoga and Tai chi is nothing but a power packed cultural festivity for which both India and China should be proud of.

Guangzhou

A day long Yoga classes and a seminar was organized in Guangzhou with the support of Consulate General of India to commemorate the 2nd IDY celebration on 21 June. About 700 Yoga enthusiasts participated in the event which was on free for all participants. The classes were led by Indian yoga masters based in Guangzhou and it was welcomed enthusiastically by the Chinese yoga students.

Kunming

Consulate General of India in Guangzhou in association with Yunnan Minzu University and supported by Yunnan Provincial Government, Kunming Municipal Government and Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (FAO) of the Kunming Municipal People’s Government organized the second ‘India-China (Kunming) International Day of Yoga’ on 21st June, 2016. The celebrations held at the India-China Yoga College, Yunnan Minzu University and included day-long yoga workshops and Yoga practice sessions conducted by two Indian yoga gurus, and performance of Yoga and TaiChi and Indian cultural performance. More than 1200 Chinese yoga practitioners from different parts of the country brave the inclemental weather and practice Yoga and Tai Chi. Consul General Mr. Y.K. Sailas Thangal quoting Hon’ble Prime Minister’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2014 and said that “Yoga is an invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature and a holistic approach to health and well-being”.

Consul General Thangal thanked the Yunnan government specially the Yunnan Minzu University for establishing the India-China Yoga College, a first college of this type opened overseas with the support of Government of India. He informed them that Consulate General of India will provide full support to this college and also to popularize yoga in provinces under our jurisdiction. Dignitaries present at the event included Mr. Zhu Huashan, Deputy Director General of Department of Education of Yunnan Provincial Government who was the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony and Mr. Li Zhigong, Vice Mayor of Kunming Municipal Government, Mr. Yang Yiqum, Vice Director, Yunnan Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee, Mr. Wu Yamin, Deputy Director, Sports Bureau of Yunnan Province, other senior officials from provincial and city government, members of Diplomatic Corps.

Zhongshan

A mega Yoga event was organized by the Zhongshan Yoga Alliance and Sun Moon Yoga Institute, Zhongshan with the support of Consulate General of India in Guangzhou on 19th June, 2016 to celebrate the 2nd International Day of Yoga. The event saw the participation of over 800 yoga enthusiasts belonging to different countries.  The event conducted in different sessions included the asanas prescribed in the Common Yoga Protocol issued by the Government of India, demonstration, talks and workshops on different forms of Yoga and chanting of slokas by prominent yoga gurus based in Zhongshan.  Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tarun Kumar, Consul (Visa & Tourism)read out excerpts from the Prime Ministers message on the occasion of the 2nd International Day of Yoga and said: 'Yoga is much more than a physical exercise – it enables us to access a new dimension of the self, even while providing a holistic approach to preventive healthcare and wellbeing’.  He informed the participants that today scientists armed with neuro-imaging and genomics technology have been able to better measure the physiological changes of yoga practice.

Xiamen

To commemorate the Second International Day of Yoga, Consulate General of India in Guangzhou in association with Zhuma Yoga organized India-China (Xiamen) International Day of Yoga events at the prestigious Music Square in Xiamen on 21st June, 2015. More than 700 yoga lovers from different countries attended the event. The day long activity included yoga demonstrations by both Chinese and Indian yoga teachers, asanas prescribed in the Common Yoga Protocol issued by the Government of India, yoga practice sessions, Yoga show and a talk and workshop.