04/09/2025
Are Tai Chi, T’ai Chi, and Taiji the same? Yes, they are. How about Qigong, Ch’i Kung, and Chi Gong? Yes as well!
This variation is due to the different methods used over the years to translate the Chinese written language, which consists of pictures and ideograms, into Roman letters. Until recently, most translations into the English language used the Wade-Giles system, which unfortunately didn’t have an international standard. As a result, each country (and sometimes individual authors) adopted their own method of romanization.
In 1958, The People’s Republic of China offered a standard phonetic system for the romanization of Mandarin called Hanyu Pinyin (Pinyin for short). Pinyin is typically used for translations from China, but spelling variations are still seen in the rest of the world.
T’ai Chi, the original Wade-Giles translation, is mostly known in the West simply as “Tai Chi”. The Pinyin translation is Taiji.
As for Qigong (Pinyin), its Wade-Giles translation is Ch’i Kung, but other variations like Chi Gong are popular in the West as well.
Want to learn more?
Come join us in celebrating World Tai Chi Day on April 26-27 at Stoneham Town Center!
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