The first Tai Chi Health Center in Greece is in the University of West Attica. Some traditional-Chinese-culture lovers are practicing Tai Chi and eight trigrams boxing. Their moves are quite standard, including horse stance, grasping the bird's tail, lifting the hand in an upright posture, white crane spreads its wings and so on. according to our knowledge, this class to teach traditional Chinese classical way to preserve health has attracted many local people to participate, including therapists, university students, taekwondo coaches and other people.

    “The popularity in the past two years since the establishment of the center has exceeded our expectation. We don’t have any membership left for the autumn class!”, said the head of the center and the professor of musculoskeletal therapy of the University of West Attica. He also said that the combined experience of traditional Chinese moves and culture offers an opportunity for people in Greece to feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture, to know the effect of traditional Chinese medicine on health and to enhance the communication and mutual understanding between the people of our two countries.

    In September, 2018, the first overseas Tai Chi Health Institute set by Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was established in the University of West Attica. The university in Shanghai sends teachers to the one in Greece for class and relating activities. Since this year, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine has make a series of videos of “traditional Chinese classic Health Preservation” with both Chinese and English, including excise like eight trigrams boxing and muscle-bone strengthening exercise, all of which offer new plans for people in Greece to fight against the pandemic when they are at home.

    Thanks to cooperation with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the acupuncture project in the University of West Attica has gained more and more recognition. Some acupuncturists has gone to study in affiliated medical institutes of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. “In Greece, acupuncture is used as a treatment by therapists generally. Attending classes of Tai Chi Health Center can enable me to have a better understand of jing, luo, qi and blood described in traditional Chinese medicine.”, Cliangce, a therapist having taking the training class, hopes that he could provide service to patients with methods of traditional Chinese medicine.

    Giorgos Patoulis, president of Medical Association of Athens in Greece, said that, “Greece is an important point of the Maritime Silk Road and a significant partner to construct ‘the Belt and Road’ initiative. I hope there will be more exchange and cooperation of traditional Chinese science to benefit more people.”