Thousands throughout China rolled out yoga mats on Saturday (June 21, 2025) to take part in occasions marking the International Day of Yoga, reflecting the rising recognition of the traditional Indian wellness custom.
In Beijing, Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat attended the celebration held on the previous Indian Embassy advanced, alongside a number of diplomats. The two-hour occasion, which included a yoga competitors, drew tons of of Chinese yoga practitioners. Owing to overwhelming curiosity, the Indian Embassy was compelled to shut registrations after greater than 1,500 individuals signed up.
International Yoga Day highlights on June 21, 2025
Participants, guided by a rising neighborhood of Indian yoga instructors, took half in varied workout routines, showcasing the deepening cultural engagement regardless of current tensions in bilateral ties.
In Shanghai, Siddharth Chatterjee, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China and a long-time yoga practitioner, was the Chief Guest on the celebrations organised by the Indian Consulate. According to a press launch issued by the consulate, Mr. Chatterjee, a former Indian Army officer, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts in globalising yoga, noting its position in fostering “a more connected world.”
“As a yoga practitioner, I deeply value its transformative power to foster resilience and peace. This event reflects the shared commitment of India and the United Nations to promote health and harmony, strengthening bonds between nations,” Mr. Chatterjee stated.
The Shanghai occasion was the end result of a broader sequence of celebrations held throughout Eastern China—together with in Hangzhou, Wuxi, and Suzhou—organised in partnership with Indian diaspora organisations, multinational firms, and Buddhist monasteries.
“This flagship celebration is the culmination of a long series of events… a testament to the wide cross-sectional appeal of yoga and Indian civilisation,” stated Consul General of India in Shanghai Pratik Mathur. He additionally underscored the relevance of yoga in selling concord, notably in the context of the seventy fifth yr of diplomatic relations between India and China.
India and China have begun to cautiously rebuild diplomatic engagement following final yr’s assembly between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. Despite tensions over the continued border standoff in Eastern Ladakh, cultural outreach by yoga and Indian heritage continues to resonate with the Chinese public.
Yoga was formally categorised by China as a kind of bodily health sport after the United Nations, in 2014, adopted Prime Minister Modi’s proposal to declare June 21 as International Day of Yoga.
Various private and non-private organisations throughout a number of Chinese cities additionally hosted yoga-themed occasions, underscoring the broad recognition and acceptance of the Indian follow.
