Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy

The Year of the Dragon Brings Blessings to All

Tai Ji Men’s Cultural Activities Spread Happy Energy<br>Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy at Miaoli Celebrates Its 17th Birthday

Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy at Miaoli held a grand celebration for its 17th anniversary on Feb. 27th (Mon.). Mr. Jeo-Hsiang Lin, Deputy County Executive of Miaoli, on behalf of the County Executive, Liu, Cheng-Hung as well as Ms. Yu-Mei Tzou, former Mayor of Miaoli City and current member of Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council, Mr. Ruei-Ming Huang, on behalf of Legislator Yiao-Chan Hsu, and Mr. Yung-Fu Chen, Mayor of Dahu Township, all attended the event, and over 1200 other guests also joined this special feast of spirituality and culture. Although it was cold on the day, the academy was filled with warm and happy energy.

Tai Ji Men dizi at the Miaoli academy come from all walks of life, including wood sculptors, orange growers, and ginger farmers. Since many residents of the Miaoli County are Hakkas, Tai Ji Men dizi especially chose Hakka culture as the theme of the event. At the beginning of this auspicious Year of the Dragon, they utilized their creativity and the philosophy of yin and yang, which they learned at Tai Ji Men, while decorating the ""halls of culture"" at the academy, where many delicate pieces of wood sculpture and straw weaving crafts are on display. Some Tai Ji Men dizi were making special Hakka mochi and tea; some were making roasted oranges, which are believed to have the effect of nurturing the stomach and lungs and symbolize good fortune; still others were making hot ginger tea, which symbolizes longevity. Wherever you looked, you would find pleasant surprises and inspirational and heart-warming words. The guests were invited to experience the beauty and wisdom of Chinese culture while participating in these meaningful cultural activities.

Mr. Jeo-Hsiang Lin, Deputy County Executive of Miaoli, remarked that he felt very joyful when he saw the healthy, peaceful, and happy smile on every Tai Ji Men dizi's face. After taking part in the above-mentioned cultural activities, Mr. Lin said, ""Tai Ji Men has always been doing good deeds in our community and has been benefiting the whole society."" He also mentioned that the Miaoli County is predominantly made up by Hakkas and that Tai Ji Men had been very successful in presenting the Hakka culture. On behalf of the County Executive as well as the 560,000 citizens of Miaoli, he extended his best wishes to Tai Ji Men and wished the Miaoli academy a ""Happy 17th Birthday!""

The dragon is an auspicious celestial animal that protects all living creatures; therefore, wherever the dragon is, the place is blessed with good fortune. Mr. Dung-Lung Chen, a Tai Ji Men dizi, stated, ""Tai Ji Men is an ancient menpai that places great emphasis on propriety and justice. Every thing we do has its significance and profound meanings. For this anniversary, we have especially presented several celestial dragons of different designs, each of which was meticulously hand-made by Tai Ji Men dizi under the guidance of Dr. Hong, Zhang-men-ren of Tai Ji Men. Each celestial dragon is unique and brings blessings to all."" As soon as the guests entered the Miaoli academy, they could see the display of""The Auspicious Dragon Emerges and Golden Carps Leap over the Dragon Waterfall"" in the front yard. Legend has it that the golden carps fight all odds, swim upstream, and achieve great success by leaping over their destination the ""Dragon Waterfall."" The academy displays the golden carps and the life-like golden dragon soaring in the clouds to wish people the very best in the Year of Dragon. By the dragon is a spinning globe, which signifies that if everyone keeps thinking good thoughts, the positive energy will definitely turn the world around to create a better future for all.

On the ceiling of the academy's halls of culture hung a ""Greeting Dragon Lantern,"" hand- made with Hakka floral fabric by Tai Ji Men dizi, and 108 other beautiful vibrant lanterns. They are meant to wish everyone a splendid new year. Each of the guests was invited to make for themselves a ""Five Treasure Lantern,"" representing the five treasures of life-health, happiness, wisdom, wealth, and bliss. Tai Ji Men dizi and their guests, holding their self-made lanterns, wished that everyone has an illuminant light within the heart and stays cheerful all year long. Ms. Yu-Mei Tzou, member of Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council, made a wish for peace and safety for all in front of the ""Wishing Dragon."" Ms. Yu stated that Tai Ji Men dizi, regardless of their ages, are all very happy and look radiant. Since a person's face reflects his/her state of mind, Ms. Yu believes that Tai Ji Men Qigong helps a person not only improve his/her physical health but also the emotional well-being.

Additionally, a group of young Tai Ji Men dizi ages between 7 and 17 presented a traditional Hakka ""Mountain Song"" and an energetic dance ""What a Bright World."" The pure vitality of the children and youth touched all the guests' hearts and also showed that the precious cultural heritage had been successfully passed down to the young generations. Mr. Jeo-Hsiang Lin, Deputy County Executive of Miaoli, remarked, ""I hope in the future, our society will become more peaceful and everyone will be happy because of the contribution of all Tai Ji Men dizi, including the very young ones!"" One of the guests was so moved by Tai Ji Men's performance that he shed tears and said that he is a Hakka but had never gained such a deep insight into Hakka culture in his daily life.

Besides the cultural activities and performances, Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy at Miaoli also held a symposium on life wisdom on its 17th anniversary. Ms. Wen-Lin Yeh, a teacher at National Kangshan Agricultural & Industrial Vocational Senior High School, shared how she used the wisdom of yin and yang to build better teacher-student relationships and solve the problems in her career. Mr. And Mrs. Bo-Run Wang, both musicians, also shared their life stories and how they truly found the origin of happiness after they learned to improve themselves. Additionally, Tai Ji Men's website, which has received over 10 million visits, is currently holding an activity of ""10 Million Good Wishes: Keeping Good Thoughts to Improve the World."" You are cordially invited to make a good wish for the New Year. The collective positive energy of the people of the world will safeguard the earth and create a better future for all!