When friends convinced Huang Li to take a tai chi class almost six years ago, she was hooked.  

This semester, the visiting scholar from China is sharing that passion for the ancient tradition with University of Arkansas at Little Rock students.

A graceful form of exercise, tai chi involves a series of movements executed in a slow, focused manner accompanied by deep breathing. Tai chi was once primarily practiced by elderly members of the Chinese community but now has gained popularity with people of all ages.

“It looks gentle and soft, but inside the body, it’s very powerful,” Li said. “It’s not only good for the body itself, but it’s very good for the mind and your mental health.”

Li, visiting from Xiamen Huaxia University in China, is teaching both Mandarin and tai chi at UALR.

“I forget all the unhappy things,” she said about her experience. “I’m focused on my practicing.”

There are many different styles of tai chi. Li teaches Wudang Zhaobao, which incorporates martial arts.

“You can see when I practice that it is sometimes very soft and gentle and then very powerful and quick,” she said. “I think this makes it very special.”

Li is one of the first scholars to be assigned by Xiamen Huaxia University to visit UALR. Accompanying her is Dingzhuang Chen, a dean of Xiamen Huaxia’s humanities college who specializes in educational law.

“Our Mandarin Chinese program has benefited greatly from the energy and mentorship that these scholars have contributed, and all our faculty and students are enjoying the rich cultural and linguistic diversity that they bring to our department,” said Dr. Erin Finzer, chair of international and second language studies.

UALR has partnered with Xiamen Huaxia University since 2014 in an exchange of students, faculty, and cultural programming. Eleven Xiamen Huaxia students are studying at UALR.

The tai chi classes are held in Room 203G at the Fitness Center 4 to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Anyone in the UALR community may attend.