BEIJING, JUN 21 (PTI): The International Yoga Day was celebrated on Sunday at Shanghai’s iconic Bund waterfront, one of the Chinese city’s most recognisable landmarks.
International Day of Yoga (IDY) is celebrated globally on June 21 every year, since its adoption by the United Nations in 2014. The theme for this year’s event is “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”.
The Shanghai event was the culmination of the IYD celebrations held in various cities along China’s Yangtze river delta, Indian Consul General in Shanghai Pratik Mathur said.
The event at Bund, a famous landmark along the Shanghai coastline, provided the “perfect backdrop” for the closure of the 90-day burst of activities and programmes held to mark IDY 2026 in cities and counties such as Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Kunshan and Wuxi, Mathur said in a post on X.
“Consul General Shri Pratik Mathur was happy to host the splendid ceremony for the 12th edition of the International Day of Yoga in Shanghai with a majestic view of Pearl TV Tower at the historic #BUND along the banks of the Huangpu river, a major landmark which is a testament to age old historic links between India and China,” the Consulate General of India in Shanghai said in a post on X. The participants in the Shanghai event included B K Sapna, in charge of Brahma Kumaris, and Siddharth Chatterjee, the former UN Coordinator for China.
Chatterjee’s recently released book on yoga, “My Five To Thrive”, was launched at the event, showcasing the massive strides made by the ancient Indian practice as a global phenomenon since the launch of IYD in 2014, Mathur said.
On Friday, over a thousand yoga enthusiasts, most of whom were Chinese, took part in the IYD event hosted by the Indian Embassy in Beijing.
The highlight of the event was the participation of 86-year-old Wang Shujiang. In a video posted on the Indian Embassy website, Wang said he embraced yoga over 20 years ago, and it gave him health and happiness.
“I have become lighter and energetic. It has rejuvenated me and made me feel young again. I love India and I live yoga”, he said.
Addressing the event, the Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Doraiswami said the large presence of people at the event reflects the growing popularity of yoga and its universal appeal. “Yoga is truly for everyone — men and women, young and old, beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Because it is inclusive and accessible to all, yoga has also become truly international, bringing together people across cultures, languages and nationalities in the shared pursuit of health and well-being,” he said.
