Wudang Martial Arts

Wudang martial arts arose on Mount Wudang in Hubei, said to have been founded by the Daoist Zhang Sanfeng in the late Yuan and early Ming. He wove the yin-yang and eight trigrams of the Book of Changes and the Daoist thought of the Dao De Jing into a distinct martial system centred on taiji, xingyi and bagua, ranked alongside Shaolin as one of China's two great schools. It entered the first national ICH list in 2006 (no. 290, code Ⅵ-8).

Wudang martial arts prize "stillness mastering motion, softness overcoming hardness, breath guiding the body, training the outer and inner together," spanning boxing, weapons, internal cultivation and wellness routines whose forms flow in round, connected movements with a long, sustained power. Taiji, Taiyi five-element boxing and the Wudang sword are its hallmarks, embodying the Daoist creed of following nature.

Wudang martial arts are a major school of Chinese martial tradition, carrying Daoist philosophy and wellness culture with influence across the world, the core evidence for Wudangshan's status as the birthplace of taiji, and of real value for studying Chinese martial history and Daoist culture.

One can watch Daoist morning practice and martial displays at Wudang temples such as Zixiao Palace and at surrounding schools.