Fo Han Quan martial art flourishes in Shandong province

Editor's Note:

The Yellow River runs through nine cities in East China's Shandong province and flows into the sea, bringing vitality and prosperity to the land. Along its banks, numerous intangible cultural heritage projects have been created and inherited, reflecting the colorful scenery, brilliant culture and rich diversity of Shandong. Shandong is a province with a long history and a splendid civilization. It boasts 186 national-level intangible cultural heritage projects, ranking it second in the country. Moreover, eight projects have been inscribed onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, according to the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. Join me on a journey in Meeting the Sea Along the Yellow River in Shandong, to discover the treasures of intangible cultural heritage there and appreciate the charms of this ancient and modern land.

Dongming county – located in Heze city in East China's Shandong province – is well-known for its various types of martial arts, with one of the most renowned styles being Fo Han Quan.

The style originated in Xilizhai village and Zhang Jimin, its sixth-generation inheritor, donated 3.5 million yuan ($479,958) of his own resources to build the Fo Han Quan Research and Development Center in Dongming.

The center is the only one of its kind in the country and it has become a go-to destination for Fo Han Quan research and tourism in Xilizhai village.

Members of Fo Han Quan Research and Development Center have achieved impressive results through rigorous training at many competitions and events over the past few years.

Among them, Zhang Zhenjun – a disciple of Zhang Jimin and the seventh-generation inheritor of Fo Han Quan – established a Guinness world record in 2019 by lifting seven grinding disks with a total weight of 1,228.9 kilograms, using the back of his hands and maintaining the position for 6 seconds.

Locals gather at Gaocun Elementary School in Xilizhai village every day to practice Fo Han Quan without charge. [Photo by Hu Tejia for chinadaily.com.cn]

Thanks to the dedicated work of several generations of Fo Han Quan masters, Xilizhai village has now been home to numerous skilled martial arts practitioners and exceptional talent. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)