WTSF Delegation Attends the First International Taijiquan Science Conference in Jiaozuo, China

From September 17 to 21, 2025, the First International Taijiquan Science Conference was grandly held in Jiaozuo, Henan Province, China. As the first global academic conference following Taijiquan’s inclusion in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the event gathered renowned experts, scholars, and Taijiquan masters from around the world at the birthplace of Taijiquan to explore its scientific development and international promotion.

The conference was co-hosted by the Wushu and Traditional Sports Committee of the China Sport Science Society and Henan Polytechnic University, aiming to advance the scientific, standardized, and international development of Taijiquan, and to build a global platform for academic exchange and cooperation.

At the invitation of the organizing committee, Dr. Shudong Li, President of the World Taiji Science Federation (WTSF) and Founder of the Medical Taiji Program at Stanford University, led a high-level international delegation to attend the event. Delegation members came from top academic and medical institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and Colombia, reflecting the growing integration of Taijiquan into global health and research communities.

The international experts accompanying the delegation included:

• Dr. Gloria Yeh: Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of Clinical Research at the Harvard Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, and Principal Investigator for multiple NIH-funded Taiji research projects;

• Dr. Samuel Montalvo: Research Fellow in Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University, and Director of the International Wushu Research Consortium;

• Dr. Luis Fernando Cruz Quiroga: Renowned Medical Taiji expert from Colombia, Medical Doctor and Director of the Medical Taichi Program, Founder of the Colombian Academy of Taijiquan.

As honored guests of the conference, the WTSF delegation actively participated in keynote speeches and breakout sessions, engaging in in-depth discussions on topics such as Medical Taiji, Exercise as Medicine, and Taijiquan for Cardiopulmonary Health, showcasing the interdisciplinary integration of Taijiquan with modern medicine and sports science on the international stage.

This conference not only served as a high-level forum where traditional culture meets modern science, but also marked a new milestone in the professionalization and globalization of Taijiquan. The presence of the WTSF delegation underscored its leading role and bridging influence in global Taijiquan science research, injecting new academic energy and practical momentum into the effort of bringing Taijiquan to the world stage.