The Wudang Mountains (Simplified Chinese:

In years past, the mountains of Wudang were known for the many Taoist monasteries to be found there, monasteries which became known as an academic centre for the research, teaching and practise of meditation, Chinese martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, Taoist agriculture practises and related arts. As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220AD), the mountain attracted the Emperor's attention. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the first site of worship - the Five Dragon Temple - was constructed. The monasteries were emptied, damaged and then neglected during and after the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, but the Wudang mountains have lately become increasingly popular with tourists from elsewhere in China and abroad due to their scenic location and historical interest. The monasteries and buildings were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The palaces and temples in Wudang, which was built as an organized complex during the Ming Dynasty (14th–17th centuries), contains Taoist buildings from as early as the 7th century. It represents the highest standards of Chinese art and architecture over a period of nearly 1,000 years. Noted temples include the Golden Hall, Nanyan Temple and the Purple Cloud Temple.

Wudang in popular culture

The Wudang monasteries figure prominently in Chinese martial arts films, especially the genre known as wuxia film and popular literature. For example, an ending scene of the famous movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Taiwanese director Ang Lee was set at the Wudang monastery, although not actually filmed there. In some wuxia films about the Shaolin Temple, characters employing Wudang martial arts are featured as villains. It is in reference to this type of film that the American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan named themselves. In many martial arts movies, however, actors portraying Wudang practitioners are also found in heroic or neutral supporting roles.

Wudangquan (Chinese: 武當拳; Yale Cantonese: mou5 dong1 kyun4), also known as Wu-Tang quan, is a family of Chinese martial arts known more generally as nèijiā.

In 1669, Huang Zongxi was the first to describe Chinese martial arts in terms of a Wudang or "internal" school versus a Shaolin or "external" school.

Internal or "soft" styles of Chinese martial art are sometimes referred to as Wudang styles regardless of whether they originated in or were developed in the temples of the Wudang Mountains, just as external or "hard" styles are sometimes called Shaolin regardless of whether the individual style traces its origins to the Shaolin tradition or not.

Wudangquan incorporates yin-yang theory from the I Ching as well as the Five Elements of Taoist cosmology: water, earth, fire, wood, and metal. Animal imagery is evident in some of their practices. These motions are trained to be combined and coordinated with the neigong breathing to develop nei jin, internal power, for both offensive and defensive purposes.

Wudangquan is known for its weapons training and is famous for its jian (Chinese straight sword) techniques.

Several Wudang styles are:

• Kongmenquan - fist of the gate of emptiness
• Yumenquan - fish fist
• Taiyi wuxing qinpu - (grappling of five elements and Great One)
• Jiugong shibatui - (18 legs of nine palaces)

Wudang Kung Fu is one special internal martial arts form in China and enjoys the parallel position with Shaolin Kung Fu in Chinese Kung Fu field. Therefore comes the popular saying In the north respects paid to Shaoling Kung Fu; yet in the south honor should be given to Wudang Kung Fu.

It is widely heard that the founder of Wudang Kung Fu was a local Taoist called Zhang Sanfeng. The historical recordings differ much in different books and the following below carries some different information:
1. Zhang Sanfeng was a popular boxing player in Song Dynasty. Also an alchemist in Mount Wudang. 2. Zhang Sanfeng, a Taoist, was born in Yi State of Liaoing Province. Once in a time stayed in Mount Wudang and much recordings concerning him remained in books in Ming Dynasty, These are recordings carried with book Source of Words. It is really a very complicated problem when in a one book two Zhang Sanfengs came out in different time, one in Song Dynasty and another in Ming Dynasty. Is it possible that they meant the same person or did the one in Song Dynasty live a very long life till Ming Dynasty? Yet, in consideration with the following factors as the same religion, the same practicing place, the same Kung Fu arts they practiced and the same fame for themselves, together with traditional Chinese name-giving customs, the historians in China still cannot give a convincing conclusion as to the details of Zhang Sanfeng’s personal information.

Other recordings concerning Zhang Sanfeng and his Kung Fu master history may have to be related to Huang Zongxi, who was one famous Chinese thinker and historian in late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. In his books History Files In Song- and Yuan Dynasty, History Files In Ming Dynasty and History Files Of Scholars In Ming Dynasty, he held the view many times that Zhang Sanfeng was a famous Kung Fu master in Song Dynasty. One manuscript handed down by Li Yifan, who was Wu-style Taiji boxing bearer, also carried such message as Taiji boxing originated from Zhang Sanfeng in Song Dynasty. Therefore, in today’s Kung Fu circle many martial artists generally regard Zhag Sanfeng as the founder of both Taiji boxing and Wudang Kung Fu in Song Dynasty.

It is a general viewpoint circulating in Kung Fu arena that Taiji boxing originated from internal Kung Fu created by Zhang Sanfeng. One book with China State Library called Taiji Masters Lineage has the following messages as Sir Zhang Sanfeng, surname Zhang, first name Sanfeng, went to Mount Zhongnan when he was 61 years old. There he had the chance to meet one immortal called Dragon Fire who late transferred his knowledge regarding inner alchemy to him after knowing he was a competent practitioner.

Later Zhang Sanfeng traveled a lot to famous resorts in the south and finally settled down in Mount Wudang. Then ordering disciple Qiu Yuanqing to stay in Five Dragon House, Lu Qiuyun in Southen Cave, Liu Guquan in Purple Heaven Palace, Zhang Sanfeng constructed a house in the place where Immortal Encountering Palace now stays. Cultivating true self for as long as nine years, Zhang Sanfeng finally succeeded in achieving Tao. People called him an immortal who can excise unimaginable power to restrain the bad and promote the good, and transform all corporeal things into different forms as the he wished to do. All the universe turns to become one thing staying in his hand waiting for him to deal with.

Later, Zhang Sanfeng taught one set of boxing forms to Zhang Songxi and Zhang Cuisan, which was the very original form of Taiji boxing. Because there are only thirteen forms people called it Thirteen-Form Taiji Boxing. Among these 13 forms, stretching out, stamping, squeezing, chopping downward, picking up, changing place, using elbow, leaning against symbolize separately the eight trigrams, while moving forward, retreating backward, watching to the left, turning to the right and staying in the center indicate separately the five elements. From these specific sayings there came the name of Thirteen-Form Taiji boxing. Based upon the Yin- and Yang-Qi theory and aimed at regulating operation of the inner organs according to five-element theory, TaiChi boxing incorporates many soft movements imitating cats, birds, snakes and monkeys, thus gaining the effects of soothing the inner mental state, harmonize the operation of inner viscera, strengthening the immune system, etc. Taichi boxing developed very quickly among general people and later different branches came out to develop into different forms after long-term evolution. Nowadays, Chen-style, Yang-style, Wu-Style, Sun-style Taichi boxing compete to present themselves.

Today, Wudang Taoism Association and other organizations has published more than 30 schools of Wudang boxing forms, 18 schools of Wudang weapon forms, 9 schools inner Qigong practice forms. Among them the popular are as following below: Wudang Taiyi Five Element Boxing, Wudang Pure-Yang Boxing, Yin Yang Ba Gua Chang, Wudang Sword, Wudang Original Taichi Boxing, Taihe Boxing, Zhaobao Taichi Boxing, Wudang Heavenly-Gate Qigong, Wudang Moon-Watching Qigong, Wudang Southern School, etc.

Wudang Kung Fu is excellent cultural heritage for Chinese people. Nowadays, more and more people get involved in the campaign to treasuring this art form and making efforts to promote its healthy development. Every year, many famous Kung Fu masters, Qigong masters come to ShiYan City to pay respect to Mount Wudang and exchange their experience and skills...