LANZHOU, June 26-- Accompanied by soothing Chinese folk music, Dan Kun, a 23-year-old college student, practices Tai Chi. Dan is a junior at Lanzhou University and her major is musical performance. Wearing a black uniform, she resembles a Tai Chi veteran. In recent years, Tai Chi and other traditional martial arts have become increasingly popular among college students who want to keep fit. Three years ago, after enrolling at college, Dan was deeply attracted by the martial arts module of the physical education course as a musical major. "I think music and martial arts are interlinked, both of them need rhythm. I wanted to learn Tai Chi," Dan said. Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese form of shadowboxing, combining rigidity and flexibility with the core idea of traditional Chinese philosophy. Tai Chi is also a key tenet of Chinese martial arts. In 2006, it was listed as one of China's national intangible cultural heritages. From spring to winter, outdoors and in dormitory corridors, her classmates always see Dan practicing Tai Chi. "Hard work pays off," Dan often encourages herself with this sentence, gaining a greater platform to show himself. Next month, Dan will participate in the 4th Gansu University Students' Games as an athlete from Lanzhou University. "I will compete in Tai Chi, Tai Chi Sword and Yang's Tai Chi," Dan said. Dan's continuous progress in traditional Chinese martial arts depends on the guidance of her "gold medal coach" Kan Wencong. |