Chinese wushu catches on in Belgium

Dogmaev is among thousands of wushu fans in Belgium. According to the Belgian Wushu Federation, over 5,000 people practice wushu in the country, with youths accounting for more than 60 percent.

"The attraction for Chinese martial arts is quite complex. Our society seeks values that wushu brings as a school of life. And there are also actors like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li who have popularized wushu in the West," said Christophe Bauweleers, Belgian Wushu Federation president.

"Wushu is a thousand-year-old culture that connects sport, culture, health, history and human relations. It is a gateway to China's fascinating world," said Bauweleers.

Belgian wushu teachers are in regular contact with their counterparts in China, and strong relationships have been formed between European and Chinese wushu organizations.

Last year an agreement promoting the duanwei system, a set of evaluation criteria for wushu practitioners, was signed by the Belgian Wushu Federation and the Chinese Wushu Association, with the aim of establishing a training and assessment center for duanwei grades in Belgium.

Though wushu is gaining popularity in Belgium, Bauweleers said more work is needed.

"One of the priorities is to have wushu recognized by the Belgian government," he said.

"We would like to establish our wushu center in Louvain la Neuve with the arrival of the China Belgium Technology Center, creating a real bridge between the communities."

Chen Wenxin, Dong Yuwen and Ning Yuqi in Brussels contributed to the story