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To the east of China lie the Wudang Mountains, the cradle of Taoist internal martial arts since the Tang dynasty. These scarlet temples, nestled in gray rock, hold the heritage of Tai Chi, as well as a culture of meditation and traditional Chinese medicine. This art of living extends into the city and finds its place in the daily lives of its inhabitants.
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00:00Thank you for joining us.
02:33The towns at the foot of the Wudong Mountains are much more lively.
03:01Nonetheless, the atmosphere, even in town, seems to be conducive to meditation and martial
03:27arts.
03:29This is due to the contrast between the modern buildings and the ones built according to
03:32the traditional Chinese architecture.
03:36This is due to the contrast between the modern buildings and the modern buildings.
03:43This is due to the contrast between the modern buildings and the modern buildings.
03:49Many martial arts schools bring their disciples to train here, on this square.
04:09There are also many locals who are skilled in martial arts and come here to train alone
04:17or just to do a few exercises.
04:47The Wudong region is the cradle of internal martial arts. They are so considered because they are based on the development of inner energy and have a strong symbolic aspect.
05:02This is what makes them different from the Shaolin styles of martial art, which are considered external.
05:09This is what makes them different from the Shaolin styles of martial art, which are considered external.
05:39Wudong has many different Kung Fu schools of varying sizes.
05:45Some pupils only come here for a few weeks to learn the basics of Tai Chi or Kung Fu.
05:51In Wudong's highlands, there are many martial arts schools and also masters.
05:56Usually, the pupils stay for a few weeks before heading back to the town.
06:19However, many pupils stay for a lot longer in order to learn and completely master Tai Chi.
06:25Tai Chi is not only a healthy physical exercise, but also a Taoist inspired martial art with a strong spiritual element.
06:32underwent
06:37inter expected
06:45underwent
06:49underwent
06:52underwent
06:54underwent
06:57Tai Chi's movements are designed to sharpen the body's vital energy.
07:08Tai Chi is thought to have been invented by Taoist warriors and monk doctors.
07:13Yang is the most popular style.
07:16It was created by Yang Luchan in the 18th century.
07:20Yang Luchan modified Tai Chi's original template to make it more accessible.
07:25The style's characteristic slow and relaxed movements are reminiscent of yoga exercises.
07:55Tai Chi can be practiced unarmed as well as with a range of weapons including the sword, the sabre or the stick.
08:02The ruler was also used but over the years it's been left behind.
08:06Recently more and more weapons are being used including the spear, daggers, the scythe and the fan.
08:13The sword, the sabre or the stick.
08:16The ruler was also used but over the years it's been left behind.
08:20Recently more and more weapons are being used including the spear, daggers, the scythe and the fan.
08:43Every weapon has its own sequence of movements which must be mastered.
08:56The sword, for example, has a certain number of different forms of attack and defense.
09:14Tai Chi's movements also have a martial purpose.
09:38Tai Chi is sometimes known as shadow boxing as the boxer seems to be fighting against an opponent who isn't there.
09:45Tai Chi training sessions involve learning the different movements and how to handle the weapons but also limbering up exercises.
10:05People who come to train here in the mountains of Wudong are given food and accommodation.
10:12The spiritual nature of this place is thought to help the martial artists progress.
10:19With fewer distractions the youngsters can concentrate fully on their training and meditation.
10:35In days gone by many of Mount Wudong's monasteries were all but inaccessible.
10:54The Wudong mountains lie between two big towns, Xi'an to the southeast and Wuhan to the north.
11:02Generally tourists head to Wuhan and then take a train or bus to the mountains where buses and cable cars are provided.
11:11Nevertheless, it still takes a full day to reach the mountains.
11:17In the old days thousands of pilgrims came to worship at Wudong's monasteries.
11:38Little by little the Chinese are starting to rediscover these temples.
11:42In the succeeding years and dynasties palaces, monasteries and temples have been built on these mountain peaks.
11:49Many monks still live in the monasteries because the location is conducive to meditation.
11:59Tai Chi is a martial art but also a way of life which teaches man to live in harmony with nature.
12:06Sei
12:14The
12:18Vaik
12:19Five
12:19Two
12:23To
12:24있잖아요
12:26He
12:28The monks are easily identifiable thanks to their long hair, which is tied up on top of their head in a bun fastened with a wooden peg.
12:58The monks are easily identifiable thanks to their long hair, which is the most important part of their head, which is the most important part of their head in a bun fastened with a wooden peg.
13:28The majority of the buildings were built during the reign of the Emperor Tzu Di, who is famous
13:41for being the founder of Beijing's Forbidden City.
13:45He wanted all palaces and monasteries to be in perfect osmosis with nature.
13:50All over China, and especially in Wodong, he had palaces, monasteries, convents and
13:55temples built.
13:57The different buildings on Mount Wodong are testimony to the apotheosis of the Chinese
14:02art and architecture of the period, and the establishment of Taoism in China.
14:17The dragon is one of the most emblematic creatures of Chinese and indeed Asian culture.
14:25It generally appears on all buildings.
14:32Dragons are part of the fundamental mythology of Chinese culture.
14:38The dragon was used as a symbol by almost all the dynastic Chinese emperors.
14:42Driven as the experience of human beings.
14:49The giant jungles were two of them cruising prophecies.
14:51The lion's community of wiltivity is a single region of peninsula.
14:54The king of erzähl hydropSoft and mex Optimize.
15:00Today, a great many martial arts films are shot in the Wudlong Mountains.
15:27Their scenery provides a perfect backdrop for such films.
15:34It also helps to publicize these magnificent ancient sites, which are also destinations
15:39of pilgrimage for the Chinese, and more generally, Taoists and those who practice martial arts.
15:57Strikes in Tai Chi are only effective if the combatants channel their energy, or chakra.
16:18Producing this energy creates a shockwave, so Tai Chi has an important spiritual dimension,
16:24because it's vital to forge a link between man and nature's natural energy reserves.
16:29Wudlong's mountains are full of monkeys.
16:51The monkey is the ninth animal represented in the Chinese zodiac, and the number nine
16:58is supposed to bring good fortune.
17:01Music
17:14Music
17:17Music
17:23Music
17:27Tea is a Chinese invention, and far from the big city's pollution, Mount Wodong is full
17:52of both wild and cultivated tea.
17:56Tea produces the world's greatest range of tea varieties.
17:59Legend has it that 2,700 years ago, an emperor was roaming the country searching for all manner
18:05of plants with medicinal properties.
18:07One day he was severely poisoned, and whilst he was boiling some water beneath a tree, a
18:13gust of wind dropped a few leaves into his kettle.
18:16The drink then acted as an antidote and stimulant.
18:20Nowadays tea is not only used in Chinese medicine, but also as a stimulant and as an everyday
18:25drink.
18:28And a d string is a drink.
18:29One year after a few years before he fell, he got a drink of bread and hết the water.
18:31He got a drink and a drink of other sugar.
18:33The drink thenpted slowly, the air gets healed, and even the drink.
18:38You eat in the meat, and the food gets fresh and delicious.
18:44This drink makes the drink of water.
18:48I'm going to take a look at this, I'm going to take a look at this.
19:18China's teas are very famous and have a very important place in Chinese culture.
19:43Although they produce many different varieties of tea such as yellow or black,
19:47the Chinese mostly drink green tea.
19:53Many Chinese believe in prayer trees.
19:56They write their prayer on a piece of red ribbon and throw it up into the tree.
20:01If it gets caught on a branch, their prayer will be answered.
20:07The prayer tree must be several hundred years old,
20:10as the Chinese believe that if the tree has survived for so long,
20:13it must be blessed by the gods.
20:19Because of the Wudong Mountain's highly spiritual nature,
20:22more and more pilgrims and other tourists come to the region.
20:28The area's rediscovery has partly been due to improvements in its accessibility
20:40and its classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
20:44The region's economy mainly revolves around tourism, martial arts and tea.
20:52No vehicles are allowed in the region of Wudong.
20:56The only mode of transport available to get to some of the monasteries and martial arts schools
21:00are these green buses.
21:02The only mode of transport available to get to some of the places.
21:05The only mode of transport available to get to some of the places.
21:09The market has been waiting for the
21:2922nd to 20nd to 21nd to 25nd.
21:33The moving station is a set of within 2nd to 25nd of and 25th to 29th to 25nd.
21:37Usually, before a training session, a monk will use the millennia-old Chinese art of
21:49Feng Shui in order to harmonize the environmental energy, purify the area, and ensure that
21:57all physical and metaphysical elements are in harmony, and everything goes smoothly.
22:27Thank you very much.
23:57The martial art of Kung Fu was born in the 3rd millennium BC.
24:14A few centuries later, a physician developed the movements
24:17designed to relax the spirit and fortify the body.
24:20Many other people influenced Kung Fu over the centuries.
24:23The martial art of Kung Fu was born in the 3rd millennium BC.
24:53The ancient myths developed into the Allies and the British.
24:58Amen.
25:00This is the very main myth for Zenith Jays and the African studies by the plane.
25:07Most Kung Fu training sessions take place in small groups.
25:28Unlike most Western sports clubs,
25:31Wudong's masters decide whether or not they want to take on a student.
25:34Traditionally, the great masters take on very few pupils,
25:38so that the arts heritage may be passed on
25:40without giving away Kung Fu's secrets to all and sundry.
26:04There you go.
26:06There you go.
26:08There you go.
26:10There you go.
26:12There you go.
27:10Today, there are over 400 different documented styles of Kung Fu, both with and without weapons.
27:34Although different styles may share similar techniques, Kung Fu can take many different
27:41forms depending on whether the master comes from the north, south, east or west of China.
28:18Psychology is an important part of Kung Fu.
28:24This is why meditation sessions go hand in hand with physical training.
28:30These are both important so that the mind as well as the body becomes strong.
28:38Kung Fu and Tai Chi are both martial arts developed mainly by warriors and physician monks.
28:57The influence of Taoism also helped to develop the art of Chinese medicine.
29:03Chinese medicine is built on maintaining the balance of the inner energy called Qi.
29:09Chinese medicine is built on using the
29:25This is what we're going to do.
29:29We're going to make a little bit more about each other.
29:33The other thing about the food is to create a lot of food.
29:37This is the idea that the food is not being used to.
29:42This food is used to be food.
29:46The food is used to stay on the food.
29:53Chinese traditional medicine is made up of a number of disciplines,
30:07including acupuncture and traditional Chinese massage,
30:10but also Chinese herbal medicine.
30:14Chinese medicine has been a huge influence on medicine throughout the world.
30:19Many texts on Chinese medicine have been translated into the principal Western languages.
30:23Chinese food
30:43Chinese plastic
30:44Chinese herbal medicine or phytotherapy is based on the use of plant extracts and combinations
31:09of medicinal herbs. Phytotherapy is one of the most important elements of Chinese medicine.
31:16Doctors will select the right blend of ingredients to make a remedy according to the yin and yang
31:21of the patient.
31:39Three hours.
31:40Four hours.
31:41One hour, two hours, two hours.
31:43One hour is a cut.
31:45Did the coconut powder see the coconut shed any longer?
31:49No, it's a $10 a month.
31:51Yes, the chocolate.
31:52Okay, but I waited.
32:09Phytotherapy, or Chinese herbology, uses ingredients made from every part of the plant, be it leaves, branches or roots.
32:39But other ingredients are animal or mineral based.
32:49The Western world's first contacts with Chinese medicine, and more specifically acupuncture,
32:54can be traced back to the 16th century, but it was in the second half of the 20th century
32:59that Chinese medicine really became established in the West.
33:03Nowadays, acupuncture has an increasingly important role to play in Western healthcare.
33:10The Wudong Mountains, home to many monasteries, are considered a high place of Taoism.
33:31Stone paths link the various monasteries and palaces of the Wudong Mountains.
33:36Some Taoists take these paths as a kind of pilgrimage and go to meditate in all the monasteries found along the way.
33:43This is still as a commonếu.
33:47If you look at良 Vanderlei, you'll find a little Jane secret along the way.
33:50The United BaptistThanks
33:53Home to Mother 대at
34:08Some temples are better known than others, often because kung fu films have been shot there.
34:29This dragon is a symbol of the temple and also of good luck.
34:32Make a wish while throwing a coin and if the coin lands on the dragon's head, the wish will come true.
35:03The King ko 64-leans Sle Salami Shal Manu
35:07is not allowed to hide from a salon, but at the außer water, he is clearly conditioned to the body of this.
35:13What is the presence of the temple ofrikaang was introduced?
35:28According to Kung Fu masters, the energy around us influences one's inner energy and therefore
35:45one's mastery of Kung Fu.
35:48Working within the confines of a temple courtyard has a positive influence on one's inner energy
35:52and helps one progress.
36:22So, let's go.
36:29Let's go.
36:37Let's go.
37:07Let's go.
37:37Let's go.
38:07Let's go.
38:37Let's go.
39:07Let's go.
39:38The saber is a very popular traditional Chinese weapon.
39:42The size and shape of the saber can vary, and subsequently the techniques for using it too.
39:47But over the years, kung fu masters developed techniques for using everyday objects, like the fans used by nobles or the oars used by fishermen.
39:56Let's go.
40:26Let's go.
40:28Let's go.
40:29Let's go.
40:30Let's go.
40:31Let's go.
40:32Let's go.
40:33Let's go.
40:34Let's go.
40:35Let's go.
40:36Let's go.
40:37Let's go.
40:38Let's go.
40:39Let's go.
40:40Let's go.
40:41Let's go.
40:42Let's go.
40:43Let's go.
40:44Let's go.
40:45Let's go.
40:46Let's go.
40:47Let's go.
40:48Let's go.
40:49Let's go.
40:50Let's go.
40:51Let's go.
40:52Let's go.
40:53Let's go.
40:54Let's go.
40:57Let's go.
41:01Let's go.
41:04Let's go.
41:05Let's go.
41:11The majority of Wudong's inhabitants live in the foothills.
41:15Only a handful of monks or a few masters and their pupils live in the mountains.
41:20The atmosphere in the town is quite different.
41:23There are markets in the little alleyways, the familiar traffic congestion, crowded restaurants
41:28and of course, urban pollution.
41:31There's a striking contrast between the peace that reigns in the mountains and the hustle
41:35and bustle of the town.
41:38The town's restaurants are outnumbered by its
42:07plethora of street food stalls.
42:11Street food is an institution in China and throughout Asia.
42:37One of the town's most entertaining spectacles is watching popcorn being made.
42:46A small amount of corn kernels is heated up in a vessel similar to a pressure cooker and
42:52when it's ready, the whole lot is shot into a bag.
42:59And you're not sure about housing.
43:00Now, the place to go, you might have to be able to make it to you.
43:04You'll take it, you and your family are always good to eat.
43:10The family has come to the town's house.
43:40square to spend some time together. The square is like the beating heart of the city where
43:46everyone can meet up. Kids can play and meet their friends while their parents relax or
43:52have a picnic. Local inhabitants mingle with those pupils from the martial arts schools
44:21who've chosen to live in the town rather than in the mountains. Thanks to the great number
44:26of Kung Fu schools established in the town, it's easier for youngsters to get into Kung
44:31Fu without having to trek up and down the Wudong mountains to get to training.
44:35At this age, rather than fighting moves or weapons handling, the apprentices are taught
44:53the stretching and limbering exercises necessary for learning Kung Fu's movements.
44:58Pupils start at a very young age.
45:28in order to develop a supple body, as this is the stage of their life where the body develops most.
45:35Mastering certain figures requires great flexibility, especially when being able to do the splits
45:40is one of the integral aesthetic aspects of Kung Fu's acrobatic demonstrations.
45:46for whom have been the history of the country, it's a former Duke and the future of the country.
45:56There's a lot of people who do what is going on in the area of the country.
46:02Honestly, I'm in the area of the country. You're in the area of the country for you.
46:06Children this age with their restless spirit
46:35are unable to concentrate on meditation,
46:38so their focus is on stretching and limbering up
46:41and learning some of the basic combat moves.
47:05Some of the older pupils can start learning how to use weapons.
47:25But before they are allowed to learn to use the saber or the lance,
47:29they have to learn how to use the stick.
47:36The town is full of life both day and night.
48:03The town is full of life both day and night. Shops and street vendors stay open late into the night to cater for the tourists who are visiting the region.
48:33The town has very little in the way of entertainment like this.
48:55The town has very little in the way of entertainment like this.
49:02However, the locals like to come and dance the night away in the town square.
49:32The town has very little in the city.
49:39The town has very little in the city.
49:44The town has very little in the city.
49:47Despite its rapid development and modernization, China has successfully preserved a large part of its cultural heritage, notably its martial arts including Tai Chi and Kung Fu.
50:02The Wudong region has found a happy medium between modernism and a tradition inextricably linked to its ancient internal martial arts.
50:44The town has very little in the city.
51:00The town has very little with the town full entire nation.
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