Tai Ji Men New Year Gathering: Celestial Official and His Family

Spread Good Fortune to All

Chinese, Belizean, Costa Rican, and Burmese Cultural Performances

Bring People Closer Together

On Feb. 23, the day before the Lantern Festival, Tai Ji Men hosted the 2013 New Year Gathering at Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy located in the City of Walnut.  Distinguished guests in all circles attended the event, and eminent figures from 10 nations sent congratulatory notes to convey their best wishes for the event.  Tai Ji Men’s cultural performances of Chinese martial arts and traditional dance as well as presentations from other cultures expressed the notion that the world is a big family.  Participants, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, all wished the people of the world peace, prosperity, and safety in the Year of the Snake.

The honored guests of the event include Congressman Ed Royce, Director Yun-Gong Hsu of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, the representative of California State Senator Bob Huff, the representative of the Consul General of Belize in Los Angeles, Mayor Mary Su and Council Member Eric Ching of the City of Walnut, Ms. Helen Hall, school board member of the Walnut School District, Mr. Nelson Huang, Chair and President of APAPA-SCR, and Mrs. Huang, Dr. Jiang, president of International Martial Arts Federation, and Mrs. Jiang, Ms. Ivy Kuan, president of the Chinese American Association of Walnut, Ms. Mary Ng, vice president of the Chinese American Association of Walnut, etc. Tai Ji Men has also received congratulatory letters and certificates from Senator Dianne Feinstein, California Assemblyman Curt Hagman, Consul General of Hungary, Consul General of Israel, Consul General of Malaysia, Consul General of Japan, Consul General of the Philippines, Mayor Jack Tanaka of the City of Diamond Bar, Mayor Barbara A. Messina, vice mayor, and council members of the City of Alhambra, the council members of the City of Walnut, the vice present of the Walnut School District, Mr. C.C.Yin founder of APAPA, and so forth.

As soon as the guests entered Tai Ji Men, they were cordially invited to experience Chinese martial arts by taking a horse stance and drinking a special kind of “kung fu tea.” Tai Ji Men is an ancient menpai (similar to school) of qigong, martial arts, and heart cultivation.  Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy, a non-profit organization, was founded in Taiwan in 1966, and its branch in Los Angeles was established in 2000.   Tai Ji Men members not only practice qigong to strengthen their physical and psychological health, but also carry forward the essence of Chinese culture. They have conducted numerous cultural exchanges in the five continents of the world to share the wisdom of the philosophy of yin and yang and promote the message of love and peace.  At the end of the cultural exchange program, Congressman Ed Royce stated, “I thought this program was very good because we are not only celebrating the New Year but also celebrating the concepts of health, peace, inner peace, tolerance, and acceptance of other cultures.” Cultural groups from Belize, Myanmar, and Costa Rica were invited to showcase their cultures in the event.  Jaun Enrique Valverde, member of the Costa Rican folk dance group, said, “This is an extremely beautiful activity because it gave you the opportunity to learn about other cultures.  Talking about love and peace, the second I arrived I felt that this is a beautiful place.  The faces.  The smiles.”  Another guest Ms. Linda Yount, a first grade teacher, shared her thoughts about the gathering: “I’ll take everything that I learned today back to my children.  The cultural exchange idea is fabulous.  I am having a wonderful time.  I think the universal symbol for everybody is the smile.  Thank you for your smile.”

Tai Ji Men presented “Celestial Official Spreading Good Fortune,” “Auspicious Lion Dance,” lantern dance, and martial arts performance.  The “Celestial Official” was played by Michael Selfridge, who has been practicing qigong for years at Tai Ji Men with his wife, father, father-in-law, and mother-in-law.  Their qigong practice has made them healthier and happier.  Two fairies accompanied the “Celestial Official” to give away red envelops to the guests, which symbolized giving blessings to all.  Tai Ji Men’s last presentation was “kung fu fan.”  “Wu,” the Chinese character for martial arts, means to stop conflicts both externally and internally.  Tai Ji Men hopes that everyone can stop his/her conflicts in the heart and let go of stubbornness and worries so that happiness and joy will arise.  Tai Ji Men members learn to stay calm and peaceful and utilize in their daily lives the wisdom of yin and yang that they have learned at Tai Ji Men so as to end the wars within and help those around them to lead healthier and happier lives.

Each culture is beautiful in its own way.  Mary Ng, vice president of the Chinese American Association of Walnut, remarked that she was very pleased that this event had brought different cultures together. She thinks that passing down traditional cultures to children allows them to understand their origin and that the ideas of love and peace, which Tai Ji Men promoted in the gathering, can spread to all corners of the world. Tai Ji Men has conducted countless cultural exchange activities for the purpose of bringing people and nations closer together.  These events foster mutual understanding and appreciation and consolidate the hearts and efforts of all people to work for a better tomorrow.  At the New Year gathering, there were delicious festive foods and fun traditional activities such as picking a lucky red envelop, playing various tops, playing the game of throwing bean bags, and roasting oranges. The event was filled with warm and joyful energies, so the guests felt happy and invigorated.  More information about the event is available on Tai Ji Men’s website at http://www.taijimenla.org.

Congressman Ed Royce (middle) and Mayor Mary Su (second from right) of the City of Walnut and Ms. Pamela Chen (middle), representative of the Tai Ji Men members wish everyone Happy Year of the Snake.

The “Celestial Official” Michael Selfridge (right) with his father (left) and wife spread good fortune to the guests.

A folk dance group displays the traditional costumes and beautiful dance of Costa Rica.

Tai Ji Men’s “kung fu fan” performance delivers the message of stopping conflicts and promoting goodness.

Participants of the Tai Ji Men New Year Gathering make an “energy” salute to wish everyone to have abundant positive energy.