Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy

Congressman Ro Khanna and CA Senator Dave Cortese rang Bell of Peace

Community and political leaders and Bay Area residents gathered to celebrate Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy San Jose’s 21st Anniversary

On August 28 (Sunday), Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy San Jose celebrated its 21st anniversary at Saratoga Country Club, with more than 150 people in attendance. In appreciation of its outstanding contributions to the communities and beyond, many community and political leaders as well as international scholars participated in the event in person, through a representative, by sharing a video message, or by sending a certificate of recognition. There were also congratulatory messages and videos from Tai Ji Men members in 14 other chapters and friends from 22 countries. The event was streamed live in Chinese and English, with thousands of views.

On August 26, California State Senator Dave Cortese rang the Bell of World Peace and Love and made a wish “for peace among every nation” as he congratulated the academy on its 21st anniversary. He presented to Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the leader of Tai Ji Men, a State of California Senate Certificate of Recognition, which reads, “Senator Dave Cortese hereby recognizes and commends Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy for twenty-one years of service for providing education physical, mental and spiritual health in California’s District 15 and promoting the culture of peace with love and conscience worldwide” during the bell ringing ceremony at Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy San Jose.

On August 28, Congressman Ro Khanna stated, “I think it’s a celebration for all of us, for our community, in service of peace and the goals and values we all share” after ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love. Witnessed by hundreds of people, Congressman Khanna rang the Bell and made a wish “to have good relations with all countries working on climate” during a town hall meeting in Sunnyvale, California.%22% Tai Ji Men was invited to host the ancient and sacred bell-ringing ceremony to enable the congressman’s wish to spread around the world through the peaceful sound of the Bell, ending the gathering on a very positive note.
Since June of this year, 28 leaders in various fields, including heads of state, have rung the Bell and made wishes for love and peace for the betterment of the world.

Those attending the anniversary celebration included Justin Jeong, the field representative at Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s district office; Cupertino Vice Mayor Liang Chao; Cupertino Councilmember Hung Wei; Fremont Mayor Lily Mei; Fremont Vice Mayor Teresa Keng; Fremont Councilmember Yang Shao; Milpitas Vice Mayor Carmen Montano; Juliette Gomez, a candidate for Milpitas City Council; Palo Alto City Mayor Pat Burt; Palo Alto City Councilmember Greer Stone; Mrs. Stone; Palo Alto City Councilmember Greg Tanaka; Martin Hou, Deputy Director of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco; Los Gatos-Saratoga High School Board President Katherine Tseng; and others. Redwood City Councilmember Diane Howard; San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan; Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor; Michel Ching-long Lu, Ambassador of Taiwan to Haiti (2000-2002) and Taiwan’s representative to France (2007-2015); and other leaders congratulated and commended Tai Ji Men for its remarkable contributions via video messages.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the leader of Tai Ji Men, delivered welcome remarks, emphasizing, “Due to the pandemic and rapid changes in the environment in the past two years, people’s hearts have grown distant. However, my dizi and I have not let up in our efforts to promote the culture of love, peace, and conscience. We have hosted virtual forums and events in support of various United Nations-designated days to bring together the advice of leaders from around the world to spread positive energy. We have also invited nations from around the world to observe and promote the International Day of Conscience to awaken people’s conscience and inspire them to collaborate with one another. To help people overcome the pandemic, Tai Ji Men has also provided useful tips for disease prevention and health protection called “Five Do’s and Three Don’ts,” which have been translated into 67 languages and shared with heads of state, leaders in all fields, and other citizens of the world.”

On behalf of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Justin Jeong, the field representative at her district office, extended her most sincere and special congratulations to Dr. Hong and Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy San Jose for its 21st anniversary. “Thank you for everything that you guys do for the community and to spread your mission of promoting health in both the physical, mental or spiritual,” he said, emphasizing, “I do have to say that Congresswoman Eshoo is very supportive and loves everything that the Academy does.”

Palo Alto City Mayor Pat Burt stated, “As I have listened to the comments, it has reminded me of a famous saying from a speech that President Kennedy made more than 50 years ago. And in it, he said: we all breathe the same air, we all share the same small planet, and we all cherish the future of our children. And this is what I think your celebration and your organization is doing much to promote. In this era, where sustainability and climate change and peace among nations is so important and so threatened. We must all work together for these problems.”

Fremont Mayor Lily Mei stated, "I just wanted to say congratulations to Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy, on the occasion of their 21st anniversary. And I think right now, more than ever, we need people to have a compass, for kindness, for compassion, for our community. And I wish you all continued blessings of peace and wellness, which is so important in this moment."

On behalf of the Milpitas City Council, Milpitas Vice Mayor Carmen Montano, together with Juliette Gomez, a candidate for Milpitas City Council, congratulated the academy and presented a commendation to Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the leader of Tai Ji Men, saying, “Tai Ji Men Qigong is the practice of finding balance between body and mind, and to cultivate a higher level of consciousness, physical and emotional health, as well as spiritual enlightenment.”

When interviewed, Cupertino Vice Mayor Liang Chao mentioned that during the pandemic, “many people are facing mental health issues and social isolation. And there are many family members who are cooped up at home. There might be more conflict. I think a lot of them would need the service that Tai Ji Men is providing.” “As I was listening to the reflections by the kids and the mom, I’m thinking: Maybe school children who have moms who scold them every day should be telling their parents, ’Mom, maybe we should go to Tai Ji Men. And then the mom can learn how to communicate in a calm way. And similarly for parents who have likely a difficult child going through serious emotional issues could also be helped.”

A lion dance and a celestial drum performance kicked off the celebration. According to legend, the lion dance brings good fortune that lasts forever while the celestial drum performance is meant to inspire individuals to bravely face challenges and break new ground. Together, the drum performance and lion dance intended to alleviate people’s fear and anxiety caused by the pandemic and to infuse their hearts with joy and peace. The event also featured wonderful sharing by Tai Ji Men members of different ages about the benefits of Tai Ji Men qigong, such as spiritual growth, obtaining the wisdom of enhancing parent-child relationships, and significant improvement in health.

The event concluded on a peaceful and hopeful note as Tai Ji Men members presented a song titled "A Prayer for Peace," encouraging everyone to pray daily for world peace. The attendees were cordially invited to sign the Declaration of International Love and Peace Day, the Declaration of International Day of Conscience, and the Declaration for the Movement of An Era of Conscience, which remind them to say good words and do good deeds in their daily lives and to inspire others to do the same in their communities to make the world a better place.