At 98, 'Grandma Kung Fu' still practices martial art

Zhang Hexian practiced kung fu with a wooden crabstick with a young man, who is about 20 cm taller than her, during a recent kung fu competition in Zhangken village, Ninghai county of East China's Zhejiang province.

Though she is 98-year-old, her steps were steady and her moves were fluent. She was invited to be the judge of this competition.

Zhang is a local farmer. From the age of 4, she began learning kung fu with her father, who was a second-generation inheritor of Zhang Boxing from his family.

Zhang's father was a village doctor, who would leave home for months to treat patients when Zhang was a child.

"Learning kung fu is not to be violent, but to protect ourselves and help others when necessary," said Zhang, whose spirit somehow is similar to her father's in the desire to help others in subtle ways.

Zhang got the nickname, 'Grandma Kung Fu', on Chinese social media for her martial arts skills.

Her husband passed away years ago due to old age. Her life is ordinary and organized, and she gets up at 5 in the morning, cooks three meals every day, and talks to villagers during her free time.

Her four children, three sons and a daughter, learn and practice kung fu with her occasionally.