From Green Spaces to Squares: Mapping the Distribution of Taijiquan Organizations in London.

Peng Zhang,Xiujie Ma,Yan Jin,Zhan Gao

doi:10.3390/ijerph18168452

Abstract

Contributing to Taijiquan studies, this research uses spatial analysis tools in ArcGIS 10.3 and SPSS 23.0 to map out the spatial distributional pattern of the Taijiquan organizations in London, and then explores factors attributing to the spatial distribution of Taijiquan culture. The result shows that the distribution of Taijiquan organizations in London generally presents a spatial distribution structure of “dense center + sparse periphery”; the spatial distribution is unbalanced, showing a cohesive distribution; the directional distribution tends to be obvious in areas that are proximate to urban traffic arteries and afforestation in London. Through multivariate hierarchical regression analysis, the study explores the influential factors for the spatial distribution of Taijiquan organizations in London. The results show that: population size, economic level, and education level have little influence on the spatial distribution of Taijiquan organizations; however, the population density of people over 65 years old, the accessibility of public service facilities such as green spaces, and public urban traffic has a significant impact on the spatial distribution of Taijiquan organizations.

Highlights

Known as the “Chinese Wushu Treasure” in its homeland of China, Taijiquan has attracted international academic attention for its profound cultural heritage, soft and unique fitness forms, and health benefits
The results are made by using population density, population density of the people above 65 years old, the average education level, per capita GDP level as controlled variables, and urban traffic accessibility and public green space accessibility as independent variables, and by applying Average education level × Urban traffic accessibility and Average education level × Public green space accessibility and Average education level × Urban traffic accessibility × Public green space as interactive variables in the multiple regression model
The spatial distribution of Taijiquan organizations in London is of an agglomerated type

Summary

Introduction

Known as the “Chinese Wushu Treasure” in its homeland of China, Taijiquan has attracted international academic attention for its profound cultural heritage, soft and unique fitness forms, and health benefits. Studies have investigated Taijiquan from many perspectives, especially from the perspectives of biomedicine and human health, and mainly regarded Taijiquan as a supplement and alternative medicine [1]. In spite of the papers on health-related aspects of Taijiquan, there is still no Taijiquan program as a complementary and alternative medicine widely and systematically applied in real social life. Harmer argues that only if more researchers get involved in Taijiquan and promise to study Taijiquan’s health benefits systematically that, in the long run, the research results about Taijiquan will become widely applied and promoted [2]. As Ryan mentions, the future identity of Taijiquan will depend on the ways the technical and cultural control is negotiated between continents and on the interest shown by the global scientific community in the value of Taijiquan for understanding health and well-being. As Ryan mentions, the future identity of Taijiquan will depend on the ways the technical and cultural control is negotiated between continents and on the interest shown by the global scientific community in the value of Taijiquan for understanding health and well-being. [3]

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