Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy

Tai Ji Men's Celestial Dragon Blesses America and the World

Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy Presents a Spectacular Cultural Performance in South Pasadena’s Annual July 4th Celebration

To celebrate Independence Day, the city of South Pasadena in Southern California held a spectacular parade on July 4th. This annual event, themed "Hometown Heroes: Celebrating the Spirit of Community," attracted a large crowd lining the parade route and brought together many important community leaders. Among the attendees were California State Assemblyman Mike Fong, South Pasadena Mayor Evelyn Zneimer, Vice Mayor Jack Donovan, and Councilmembers Jon Primuth, Janet Braun, and Michael Cacciotti. Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy, along with dozens of other organizations, participated in this grand event.
The Tai Ji Men participants came from various professions and age groups, including engineers, pharmacists, Chinese medicine practitioners, musicians, artists, teachers, university students, high school students, elementary students, and even a 4-year-old child waving a flag from a stroller to celebrate the nation’s birthday.
As 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, Tai Ji Men brought their joyous Celestial Dragon to the parade. This 68-foot-long dragon immediately received enthusiastic applause and cheers from the crowd. Spectators along the route frequently exclaimed, "Wow! It’s so beautiful!" Debrah Lemattre, a photographer present at the event, expressed her gratitude for the dragon, saying, "It was absolutely gorgeous. It was breathtaking the way it wrapped around the streets of the beautiful South Pasadena. It was just a work of art. Thank you very much for bringing it to the parade today.”
This Celestial Dragon was created under the leadership of Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the leader of Tai Ji Men, and his late wife, Ms. Yu Mei-Rung. Tai Ji Men members climbed mountains to select bamboo for the dragon’s skeleton and meticulously crafted the dragon. The bamboo frame made the dragon quite heavy, making it a significant challenge to bring it to life through the dance. For several weeks leading up to the parade, Tai Ji Men members dedicated their weekends to dragon dance practice. On the day of the parade, dragon dancers ranged from a 12-year-old to a 64-year-old.
Among the dancers was 20-year-old Pin Xie, who has Asperger’s syndrome. He started practicing qigong at Tai Ji Men, a big family filled with warmth and joy, at the age of 6. This practice has had a significant positive impact on his physical and mental development and social interaction skills. For the first time, he joined the dragon dance, spreading good thoughts and energy to the public, and he felt very happy.
Ms. Nunu Tun, 63, expressed her joy at dancing the dragon with younger participants during the Independence Day celebration. Through the training, she learned patience, perseverance, and the importance of unity and cooperation. Together, they embodied the spirit of the dragon—compassion, courage, and true wisdom—praying for safety, health, peace, and prosperity for the city, California, the United States, and the world.
In addition to the magnificent dragon dance, Tai Ji Men also presented a graceful fan dance, the energetic Energy Girls, and a powerful flag formation, infusing the event with positive energy. Jean Chang, 18, an Energy Girl who just graduated from high school and is about to enter college, expressed her happiness in participating in the parade and sharing joyful energy with the crowd. Howard Chan, 72, a member of the flag formation and a former CFO of a well-known computer company, joined Tai Ji Men after retiring. He said that without practicing qigong at Tai Ji Men, he would not have had the physical and mental strength to complete the entire parade.
Through these performances, Tai Ji Men aims to bring blessings of peace and prosperity to America and the world, encouraging everyone to follow their conscience, harness their power of hope, overcome difficulties, and realize their dreams, becoming their own heroes in their daily lives.


About Tai Ji Men

Tai Ji Men is an international, non-profit cultural organization dedicated to preserving Tai Ji Men culture and promoting the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of people worldwide. Starting in the year 2000, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the head of Tai Ji Men, established two Tai Ji Men Academies in California. In October 2023, Dr. Hong hosted the inauguration of two more new academies, one in Santa Clara and the other in Pasadena.

Over the years, Dr. Hong has led members of Tai Ji Men and the Federation of World Peace and Love to take on self-funded tours across six continents to promote a culture of peace rooted in love and conscience. Dr. Hong played a pivotal role in the United Nations’ adoption of the International Day of Conscience and received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the office of President Joe Biden in March 2023. This award recognized the 1.2 million hours that Dr. Hong and members of the Federation of World Peace and Love have dedicated to the nation.