BEIJING- China should apply for intangible world heritage protection for tai chi to popularize the traditional martial art, a political adviser in Central China has said.

Tai chi deserves the same popularity as China's Shaolin kungfu because it is another representation of unique Chinese culture, Lu Xiaopin, member of the Henan provincial committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told China News Service on Wednesday.

The application is an "urgent" matter for China, the birthplace of tai chi, as there have been reports that the Republic of Korea also intended to apply for UNESCO recognition of the martial art, Lu said.

There are an estimated 300 million practitioners of the traditional martial art around the world.

Wu Zuolai, a researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, told China Daily that shadow boxing has gained increasing popularity due to China's rising soft power on the world stage.

Lei Luming, general manager of Wujitang, a Beijing-based shop retailing clothes for tai chi, said his shop has received more and more orders from foreign individuals and clubs in countries such as Canada and Germany.

"Now overseas orders account for 10 percent of our sales and they are increasing year on year," Lei said.

Wu also agreed that the honor of intangible world heritage will bring more financial support for the martial art's development.

"Tai chi is always practiced in a simplified version nowadays," Wu said, adding that the UNESCO protection will help promote research into tai chi and encourage further development and innovation.

Peking Opera and acupuncture were placed on UNESCO's Intangible World Heritage List during a five-day meeting in Nairobi in November 2010.

Applying for world heritage status increases people's awareness of, and enthusiasm for, their culture, said Ma Wenhui, a department director of the Ministry of Culture.

“太极拳作为中国原创、独创的能够集中体现中国传统文化特征的文化形态，绝不能被他国贴上标签归为己有。”河南省政协委员逯效颦19日接受本社记者专访时称，“太极”和“少林”是中国两块并驾齐驱的金字招牌，中华太极拳应致力“申遗”。

太极拳是中国武术精粹，具有鲜明中华民族特色的文化符号，为明末清初河南省温县陈家沟人陈王廷所创，历经300余年，深得中国传统“易”文化和“道”文化精髓。据不完全统计，包括中国在内，全球150多个国家和地区练习太极拳者已近3亿人。

“太极拳与业已列入‘世遗’的昆曲、古琴艺术具有同等的文化品格和文化价值，”逯效颦说，“‘太极’和‘少林’是中国两块并驾齐驱的金字招牌，但中华太极拳的影响力远不及少林功夫，使其尽快列入世界非物质文化遗产名录势在必行。”

太极拳以其独特的魅力为世人所推崇，被中国国家旅游局列为特种旅游项目和国家级非物质文化遗产名录。自1992年以来，陈家沟已成功举办多届国际太极拳年会，每年吸引来自美国、德国、韩国、瑞典等全球100多个国家和地区的太极拳爱好者前来切磋拳技。

（中文新闻由中新社提供）