President of the Liu Kwee Tang Presents Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze with An Award

The “Worldwide Liu Kwee Tang” has over 70 Chinese-speaking organizations and many outstanding members. In September this year Mr. Victor Hung, president of “Liu Kwee Tang” in Southern California, presented a special award to Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, Zhang-men-ren (grandmaster) of Tai Ji Men at a cultural event in Los Angeles, praising that Tai Ji Men Qigong promotes the soft power of culture and the wisdom of yin and yang, benefiting many people in the world. Mr. Hung recognizes that Tai Ji Men has spread very positive energy around the world.

Tai Ji Men is an ancient menpai (similar to school) of qigong, martial arts, and self-cultivation. It is a treasure trove of traditional Chinese culture and holds the key to unlock the origin of wisdom. Not until 50 years ago, did it open its door to the general public when its grandmaster Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze established Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy in 1966. To celebrate the academy’s 50th anniversary, it has presented a series of cultural performances around the world, including in Taiwan, the U.S., South Korea, Portugal, and the Balkans. On Sept. 16 and 18, it hosted two cultural performances in Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively with the theme “Tai Ji Culture, A Precious Treasure: Bringing Hope to the World.”

The magnificent cultural event in Los Angeles was attended by over 1000 people from over 20 nations, and Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze delivered a well-received opening speech. He remarked,“While qi nurtures all the living creatures in the world, dao is the way nature functions. The Eastern philosophy of tai ji and yin yang is the origin of the universe, and every life is closely connected with the rhythm of the universe. At a time of turbulence, only with a calm and pure heart can we return to our natural state, realize our full potential, and truly understand the meaning of life. What I have inherited from my prior grand masters and what I have been passing on to my dizi is this lesson of life, which is about the unity of the heart and qi and has been practiced for thousands of years.” Many audience members were touched and inspired by this profoundly meaningful speech.

During the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy in 2016, over 30 organizations and individuals in the U.S. sent certificates of recognition in honor of Tai Ji Men’s contribution to the society, including Lieutenant Governor of California Gavin Newsom; Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez; Congressman Mike Honda; California State Senators Ed Hernandez, Jerry Hill, Jim Beall, and Bob Wieckowski; etc. Mrs. Vivian Chan stated, “The performance awakened my soul. I really admire the part where the Shifu and dizi interact and practice qigong together. And the most impressive of all: the smiles on the children.” Mrs. Angela Sheng, director of California Performance Center, said, “Tai Ji is an important part of our cultural heritage. We must continue to carry it forward. I’m very thankful to Dr. Hong for preserving and promoting it so that more and more people can know about it.”

More than ten years ago Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze received “The World Outstanding Leader Golden Award” from the “Worldwide Liu Kwee Tang (six clans).” A thousand years ago the 6 clans were once a family. Mr. Weng, the common ancestor of the six clans and a high-ranking government official in China’s Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), changed the family name of his six sons to: Hong, Jiang, Weng, Fang, Gong, and Wang to prevent them from being persecuted by his political enemies. His six sons all passed the national exams and became governmental officials, and the emperor of the time awarded them a monument inscribed with the words: “the collective honor of the six clans.” Nowadays, the descendants of the six clans are all over the world. For years, Dr. Hong has strived to promote world peace and love and to enhance mutual understanding and friendships among nations and people through cultural exchanges. At the invitation of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG), Dr. Hong led Tai Ji Men dizi to present performances of qigong and martial arts inside the Olympic Park. In honor of Dr. Hong’s extraordinary contributions, the Association of World Citizens, NGO in consultative status with ECOSOC and associated with the UN DPI, awarded him the “Outstanding World Citizen Award;” Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation, a UN NGO, presented him with the “Peace Culture Award;” and American Asian Federation gave him the “World Outstanding Leader Gold Medal.” To date, Tai Ji Men’s Shifu and dizi have visited over 200 cities in 66 countries, delivered more than 2,000 cultural performances, and earned recognition of “International Ambassadors of Peace and Goodwill.”