Sri Sri Ravishankar to open 'Art of Living' branch in China

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will embark on a two-day tour of China from Oct 24 to inaugurate the first Art of Living ashram in Beijing, the organisers said.

This is the first ever visit by an Indian spiritual leader to China, as it shed its Communist past with a series of economic and social reforms.

The spiritual guru, whose branches are active in 140 countries, promoting ecumenical values with emphasis on inner peace, would address a public "satsang" (spiritual gathering) at a resort near Beijing on Oct 24 followed by a Health and Happiness yoga camp the next day.
The highlight of his visit according to the organisers is "Conversations of the Masters", an interactive meeting with other religious leaders such as Chang Da Lin, Executive Director of the Buddhist Association of China, Pundit Wang Xin Yang, Vice-President of the China Taoist Association and member of the National People's Congress (NPC) and Cui Zhong San, Vice-President of China Tai Chi Chuan Association.

Yoga is not new to China as Yoga centers have come up up all over the country in the last few years ever since China began to liberalise spiritual and religious practices in recent years