Handan City, Hebei Province, north China - Sept 28, 2016
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1. Various of aerial shots of people performing Taijiquan

2. Various of people performing Taijiquan
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Taijiquan enthusiast (no name given):
"Exercising Taijiquan makes me feel better. My waist and legs once hurt, but now they feel better."
4. Various of people performing Taijiquan
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhang Yuping, deputy head of martial art administrative center of General Administration of Sport of China:
"The event shows the unique beauty of Taijiquan and attracts more people to practice it, which I think has a positive influence on society."

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6. Aerial shot of people performing Taijiquan

Over 11,000 enthusiasts of Chinese martial art Taijiquan, or Taichi, came together on Wednesday to practice the ancient martial art in the city of Handan, north China’s Hebei Province, as part of the activities held during the 13th International Taijiquan Competition.

The Taichi practitioners gathered at the historical and cultural site of Guangfu ancient city in Yongnian county, which dates back over 2,600 years, to perform the martial art, which is often practiced by those of various ages for its perceived health benefits.

"Exercising Taijiquan makes me feel better. My waist and legs once hurt, but now they feel better," said a Taichi enthusiast.

The competition itself has attracted about 2,000 participants from 23 countries and regions, and aims to serve as a platform for Taichi practitioners to communicate with each other and spread the Chinese tradition.

"The event shows the unique beauty of Taijiquan and attracts more people to practice it, which I think has a positive influence on society," said Zhang Yuping, the deputy head of martial art administrative center of the General Administration of Sport of China.

Handan city, known for the origin of the Yang and Wu styles of Taichi, held its first international Taichi competition in 1991.