Photo: fjny

1. Pingliang, Gansu

The Kongtong school of Kung-fu, despite being located in China’s far west is still counted as one of the five great schools of Chinese martial arts, along with Shaolin Temple, Wudang, Kunlun and Emei.

The school is located on Kongtong Mountain in China’s western Gansu province, 12 km west of the village of Pingliang and is historically one of the strongholds of the west of China ‘proper’ that would protect the nation from attack from the west. The Kung-fu monks of the school have been intrinsic in the flow of ideas, as well as defense along that part of the Silk Road that connected China with the outside world.

The people of the Gansu pass have always cultivated their own styles of Kung-fu, and this is embodied nowhere better than at Kongtong. Every summer, the school puts on special displays during the holiday season for tourists to enjoy these traditions.

Kongtong Kungfu Academy is at the south side of Kongtong Dadao, west of Pingliang平凉城西崆峒大道南侧0933-8217535　

2. Jiangmen, Guangdong

The sleepy village of Jingmei in Jiangmen County, Guangdong is the home of Caili Buddha Fist school of Kung-fu. With over 170 years of history, the style’s inventor, Chen Xiang is still remembered and celebrated at a school in the village that to this day remains loyal to the 193 moves that the perfected.

Situated in a lacquer paneled school room, large groups of young people can be seem sparring and practicing on a daily basis. The rooms of the school are lined with weapons, and visitors can enjoy amazing demonstrations of martial arts that will take your breath away.

By far the best time to visit Jiangmen is from December to Chinese New Year, as the school hosts special displays and end of year competitions at that time. Getting there from Jiangmen city is easy enough, and locals even suggest you can cycle there, but with maps in English. Entrance to the park costs RMB 5 and evening performances start from 7pm.

3. The Huo School, Tianjin

Since 1862, the style of Kung-fu named after its master and inventor, Huo Yuanjia, has been practiced at his family mansion in Tianjin. The brick built house and courtyard is testament to Master Huo and his passion for Kung-fu. Visitors can see the museum collection of the original weapons used by Huo and his students, as well as taking in some classic photos that graphically depict one of northern China’s old great traditional art forms at its peak.

The residence is located in Xiaonanhe Village, Nanhe Town, Xiqing District, Tianjin 天津西青区南和镇小南河村

4. Water Margin Kung-fu, Cangzhou (Hebei)

Cangzhou rose to fame over the last several hundred years as one of the major places in China for bodyguards. Indeed, during the Ming dynasty the town became known as Little Liang Hill, a literary reference to the novel the Water Margin, about a band of Kung-fu practicing outlaws.

No visit to north China would be complete without dropping by the friendly Mengcun Eight Styles International Kung-fu Training Center, the biggest of dozens of Kungfu colleges and academies in Cangzhou. Cangzhou remains important in Chinese Kung-fu tradition as it is the home of the 52 styles of Quanxie (Fist and weapon) Kung-fu and for many Chinese tourists Cangzhou is one of the true homes of Kung-fu.

To get to Cangzhou by air it is easiest to fly to Shijiazhuang. If not, Cangzhou is an average of 3 hours from Beijing, or 15 hours from Shanghai by train. Once you get to Cangzhou city you should take bus 420 to Cangzhou West Coach Station and take any of the regular mini-buses that make the journey directly to Mengcun (孟村). Once there, the school is five minutes walk west. Cangzhou Kungfu Academy 武术研习院 (1 Bohai Lu, Development Zone, Cangzhou沧州市开发区渤海路1号, 0317-3091422, 3093311), Mengcun Baji Boxing International Training Center 孟村八极拳国际培训中心 (1500m west of County Bus Station, west of Mengcun Hui Nationality County, Cangzhou, Hebei河北省沧州市孟村回族自治县县城西侧, 县汽车站西行1500米, 0317-6762000, 6761177, 13832728800)

5. Assassins Tour at Wulin, Zhuhai

Zhuhai boasts China’s finest Wulin Culture Park (Entrance = RMB 90, Add: Zhongping Sha Lukou, Zhuhai Dadao, Zhuhai珠海市珠海大道中平沙路口Tel: 0756-3998888)

By day, visitors to the park in the southern Guangdong city can enjoy the flora and fauna of the park, as well as the Kung-fu museum. However, it’s not till the evening when the place comes alive with fantastic displays of Kung-fu that will leave you coming back for more.

 

See this article in its original form at: Shishang Lüyou

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