Wudang

 

More than 5,000 years ago, a prince from an ancient oriental kingdom named the kingdom of Tranquil Happiness, achieved an insight into the essence of Taoism due to the illumination of goddess Jiutian Xuannu and retired to Wudang mountains to cultivate himself according to the spirit of Taoism. Later, his religious practice was so successful that he could fly during the daytime, therefore he established Wudang Shrine of Taoism.

 

About 2000 years ago, the great philosopher and health-preserving expert Lao Tzu and his disciple, Master Yinxi, all practiced Taoism in Wudang mountains, which made Wudang mountains one of the origins of Chinese Taoism.

 

 

Dating back to about six hundred years ago, Chang Sanfeng, a miraculous prodigy, created Wudang Internal (soft) Martial Arts, with Shadow Boxing (Taiji Chuan) as the nucleus of this martial arts system. Because of this, Wudang mountains is also, the origin of Chinese Internal Martial Arts. Wudang Mountains, a holy place for Taoism as well as the origin of Chinese Internal Martial Arts, Wudang Mountains Taoist Martial Arts School, established by Wudang Taoism Association and Master Zhong Yunlong, has trained and assigned a great number of Wudang Martial Arts professionals for dozens of countries and areas over the past few decades, occupies eight hundred miles around, which possesses not only the largest building complexes of ancient Taoist composed of eight palaces, two temples, thirty-six monasteries and seventy-two temples on cliffs, but also the most magnificent natural resorts featured by seventy-two ridges and peaks standing upright towards the top of the mountains and twenty-four streams flowing eternally in the valleys of the mountains. And that is why since the ancient times Wudang Mountains has been enjoying the great fame as the first heavenly mountain in the world where the beauty has never had any parallel.

 

Beginning from 1970s, the spring wind of reform and opening to the outside world has been blowing across China. Since then, the ancient oriental culture has really been regarded the common cultural heritage of all the people in the world. The spring wind also blows open the mysterious door to Wudang Mountains' Wudang Internal Martial Arts which has passed down through its tradition of preciseness. Master Zhong Yunlong, the fourteenth generation of Chang Sanfeng's disciples, is regarded as the successor of Wudang Martial Arts.

In 1994, Wu Tang Mountain was formally and officially included in The World Herit age List. At the time, UNESCO wrote in its application report of world Cultural Heritage: " Wudang Mountains is one of most beautiful places, where natural attractiveness combines with the wisdom of ancient oriental people.. A visit to mountains seeing the rich Chinese cultural characteristics, will prove a wonderful experience both physically and mentally."

 

In China there has a folk say that Wudang-style in the south and Shaolin-style in the north are respected.

Wudang and Shaolin are the two cradles in Chinese Wushu field. When Shaolin has been famous known by

the world, Wudang Kungfu no longer keeps to the old tradition and is open to the world.

In 1984 Wudang disciples performed the Wudang inner boxing in public when the Wudang Taoism Association founded.
In 1986 in Wudang Mountains there had a first countrywide intercommunion on the inner boxing.
In 1987 Wudang Taoism Association founded Wudang Taoism Wushu Arts Team to take part in "the first Wudang Wushu Arena Match" which was the first time to introduce the Wudang Kungfu to domestic and overseas.
In 1988 when Qiao Shi, the Chairman of China National Congress inspected in Wudang Mountains, Wudang Taoism Association arranged Wudang Wushu performance played by Chief Taoist Zhong Yunlong, which got Mr. Qiao a high evaluation. Qiao said, "Wudang Wushu is the treasure of oriental culture and should be carried forward ". In order to respond to the national leader's call "to make religion acclimatize socialism", Wudang Taoism Association made a decision to appoint Chief Taoist Zhong Yunlong and his master Guo Gaoyi (now die) to found Wudang Taoism Institute in 1989, and it was the first time for Wudang Wushu to open to the outside, henceforth ，lots of excellent Wushu professionals had been fostered there.
In 1992 in order to meet the requirement of society, Wudang Taoism Mission founded Wudang Martial Arts Performance Group.

In 1993 Wudang Martial Arts Performance Group visited Tai Wan and Hong Kong on invitation; hence, Wudang Wushu was introduced to the world.
In 1994 Wudang Martial Arts Performance Group joined "four school" Martial Art match in the International Shui Hu Arts Festival fronted for Liang Mountains of Shan Dong Province.
In 2004 Wudang Wu Shu Taoist Kungfu Mission visited Tai Wan and Macao again to exchange Wudang Taoist Wu Shu culture. This year Wudang Wu Shu Taoist Kungfu Mission will visit Tai Wan in July.

During the past decade the Wudang Taoist Kungfu Academy has trained up many Wushu talents for the domestic and the oversea and received a lot of the national leaders such as Jiang Zemin, Qiao Shi, Li Lanqing, Li Ruihuan, Li Tieying and the international friends, visited Southeast Asia, Europe, United States and many countries and areas, took part in Wushu competitions in the domestic and the overseas for many times as the representation of Wudang. It is the only one that can represent Wudang Wushu Arts and also Wudang elite of new generation. More information about the Wudang Taoist Kungfu Academy can be found on the page travel.