Martial arts bring new vitality to rural vitalization

A Zhanghongquan master performs Chinese boxing at a demonstration activity in Juancheng county. [Photo by Huo Feng for chinadaily.com.cn]

A martial arts event featuring Zhanghongquan – a traditional style of Chinese boxing – was held recently in Qianfengtun village in Juancheng county, located in Heze city in East China's Shandong province.

The event was part of the Heze International Peony Cultural Tourism Festival.

The event showcased various martial arts skills. Those participating ranged from people in their seventies to teenagers.

Zhanghongquan is a branch of Hongquan, which originated in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is reputed to be the originator of Hongquan in Central China. It has a distinct style and features. It not only has many counter-attack moves, but also has wonderful methods of strengthening the body and relaxing the muscles.

Master Wang Dong from Gaozhuang village said he started doing Zhanghongquan when he was 12 years old. Now, although life is getting better and better, he still insists on practicing the martial art each day as a way of passing on the skill to the younger generations.

However, Zhanghongquan once faced the risk of decline in the face of modern times. To pass on and develop the traditional culture, in recent years Juancheng county has made efforts to catalog its historical materials, improve its facilities and establish a Zhanghongquan martial arts group. (Edited by Fan Yuanyuan)