Members of China's national Taijiquan team perform at the opening ceremony of the 2013 World Taijiquan Classic, in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province.

The World Taijiquan Classic, one of the world's top Taijiquan events, which was held in Dujiangyan, near Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, in China's Southwest, June 22 and 23, attracted 150 Taijiquan practitioners from around the world, including the United States, France, Russia and Taiwan. The Chinese national champions also took part in the event.

Taijiquan, often referred to as taiji (pin yin) or tai chi, is a Chinese martial art that is now practiced worldwide both for its health benefits and for fighting skills, and mostly follows five traditional schools -- Chen, Yang, Wu (Hao), Wu, and Sun.

Dujiangyan, the host city, is known for its ancient irrigation system and Qingcheng Mountain, the purported birthplace of Taoism, China's only native religion. It has been promoting its Taijiquan role for a year now and has more than 100,000 people practicing taiji, with the number expected, by some, to swell to 150,000 by year's end.

The 2013 World Taijiquan Classic is hosted by the Chinese Wushu Association, the Chengdu municipal government, and the provincial sports bureau.