Young generation reach their kung fu dreams in ancient Taoist mountain

Located in central China's Hubei Province, Wudang Mountains is a UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage site recognized as the cradle of Wudang kung fu and as a renowned Taoist sanctuary. Every year, young students from different parts of China flock to these well-established kung fu academies to experience a childhood like no other.

Li Weimu and Li Muzi study at two separate kung fu academies, and are following their own paths at Wudang Mountains.

Weimu is a boy who has been attending the Xuanmen Academy from a young age. His dad practiced kung fu from an early age and wanted to pass on the tradition to his son. In these academies, children can learn kung fu while attending literacy classes, so they have the flexibility of studying there full-time or during their school breaks.

Weimu has been living the life of a Taoist student for a few years now and already has long enough hair to make a topknot every day. The topknot is an iconic hairstyle of Wudang that bears the meaning of respecting natural growth. Tying the topknot each day is just a tiny part of the dedication Weimu gives to his training.

Every day, he gets up at the break of dawn and jogs uphill with his classmates, where they complete their Tai Chi practice in the morning light. They jog back to the campus to learn more aspects of Wudang martial arts, like movement training or fist practice. They eat a simple yet nutritious lunch and attend their literacy classes in the afternoon.

Despite his young age, Weimu already demonstrates a Taoist demeanor. He is softly spoken but his fists are powerful, his kung fu skills put him at the top of his class but his "weapon" of choice is the gentle-looking Taoist horsetail whisk. He puts the maximum effort into his martial arts training but he also enjoys learning the guqin, an ancient stringed instrument.

If Li Weimu is a "seasoned" Wudang practitioner, Li Muzi is the "new kid in the block." Born a city girl, she discovered Wudang Mountains six months ago and has been in love with it ever since. Her family has no background in the martial arts, but Muzi's mother is firmly supportive for her daughter's kung fu dream after witnessing her transformation since her arrival there.

Muzi attended school back home for a few years, but she found that her personality and learning style didn't fit that well in the traditional education system. But her love of the outdoors and for physical exercise sat well with the teaching style of the Wudang academies. Her mother believes she will do well as long as she is happy in her learning.

Unlike Weimu who is very experienced, Muzi has only learned some basic kung fu skills. She is looking forward most to practicing the staff, which is what drew her to Wudang initially. Mastering the staff requires the students to bring their basic kung fu skills up to a good level, and Muzi is devoting all her efforts to reaching this goal.

Despite their different family backgrounds and starting points, Weimu and Muzi's journeys led them both to the Wudang Mountains. These two young talents are just part of many young students in China who look to the ancient Taoist mountain as a place to strengthen their bodies and characters.