A Taoist shows off his kung fu skills on Wudang Mountain. Photos: Courtesy of Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Mission

By Li Yuting

With their long hair in buns and wearing white cotton robes, the Taoist disciples wander in at a gentle yet fast pace, and speaking in slow and soft tones. They begin doing taijiquan, a Chinese martial art practiced for both its defensive and health benefits. This is not a recreation of a scene from a martial arts novel shot on a film set; it is being preformed by actual monks and nuns at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

They are members of the Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Mission, from Wudang Mountain, mainly known to Westerners as the inspiration for the name of the influential hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. The monks have been invited to the Expo to perform "Wudang - Tai Chi and Dao," giving three shows daily and 276 shows in total from July to the end of September. It aims to show Taoist traditions and philosophy through performances of traditional Wudang kung fu and other Taoist practices. "It is not our first time in Shanghai, but it is our first formal public appearance where we are performing for people from all over the world," said Pan Kemin, a Taoist nun and kung fu coach, who has been practicing Taoism for nine years.

The real Wu-Tang Clan

Compared to their tranquil life on the secluded Wudang Mountain, in Hubei Province, living in Shanghai is a massive adjustment, especially as they are watched by hundreds of thousands of people daily. However, the Taoists manage to remain true to their Taoist disciplines.

At 5:30 in the morning, the Taoists rise and exercise until 8 am, much shorter than their exercise sessions on Wudang Mountain where they practice kung fu for eight hours a day. Following their morning exercises the Taoists then begin religious study, where Confucius and Taoist texts are read. Texts studied include The Four Books of Confucius (selected by Zhu Xi, a famous Confucius scholar from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), as an introduction to Confucianism and was used as the core of the official curriculum for civil exams in later dynasties), The Five Classics (allegedly compiled by Confucius himself), the Taoist canon Zhuang-zi (parts of which were written by influential Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi in the 4th century BC) and Tao Te Ching (believed to have been written in the 6th century BC by Lao-tzu, the founder of Taoism). After their morning routine, the Taoists leave for the Expo Park at 11:30 to perform their first show. They spend the whole afternoon resting to prepare for two more shows starting at 5 pm and 7 pm.

As their exercise sessions are much shorter in Shanghai, the Taoists keep their minds and bodies occupied through calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting and playing the guqin (a traditional Chinese zither also known as a "table harp.") "You can see, the 'Eight Diagram Picture' itself is a harmonious and beautiful painting, and all these forms of art blend into each other, helping us to understand the essence of Taoism," said Pan Kemin, clutching a copy of Tao Te Ching. The 'Eight Diagram Picture' is one of the most iconic images of Taoism. It includes a yin yang in the center and is surrounded by eight diagrams that show the eight natural phenomena: sky, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain and lake.

Several times a day the Taoists have to travel back and forth between the Expo Park and their accommodation at Lujiabang Road, Huangpu district. They have dinner after finishing all of the three performances; sometimes even going to sleep at midnight. Their full schedules mean that they have no spare time to explore the Expo pavilions; however, some of the Taoists have visited the China Pavilion. "At the beginning, we were not used to life in Shanghai, because it is incompatible to practicing Taoism. However, for a qualified practitioner, one should always be in a serene state of mind no matter where they are. So, Shanghai is a good challenge for us," said Song Xianghui, a Taoist monk. "The noisier the place, the more inner peace one needs. For us, it's a good opportunity to see exactly how much we can embrace the spirit of Taoism," said nun Pan Jingyuan, another member of the Taoist disciples.

Tao and the city

The three concepts of "Wudang - Tai Chi and Dao" (Heaven, Earth and Human), convey the notion of harmony between humans and nature which is the essence of Taoism. To make it accessible to the Expo visitors, the three most basic forms of Taoist kung fu are performed.

"Wudang kung fu is mainly about internal martial arts, which focus on meditation and breathing: preserving one's health is its most important principle," said Li Zaifeng, the head abbot of the Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Mission. Li also mentioned how the Wudang martial arts moves came to be when Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudang Temple, invented them after a long meditation session. "Taijiquan is a typical example of helping and controlling the flow of breath (qi) through hand gestures," said Li.

It is common knowledge that many people living in the city, especially office workers, are in need of physical exercise, and are susceptible to health problems. "We aim at promoting health awareness and the necessity of doing physical exercise," said Pan Kemin. "Life in big cities like Shanghai is fast-paced and highly stressed. We hope city people can better understand the health benefits of Taoism. Some Wudang kung fu, such as qigong, (a training method based on Chinese philosophy that encompasses both physical and mental exercises designed to help the body and the mind) is easy to imitate and can be practiced in the office," said Pan Jingyuan. Monk Song Xianghui added, "If city people are too busy to systematically learn how to do qigong exercises, they can get a closer look at what Taoism and Wudang kung fu is by watching us perform."

Young Taoist disciples perform in the Expo Park.

Life on the mountain

Pan Kemin recalled one female apprentice she taught on Wudang Mountain several years ago. A Shanghainese lady who worked at a foreign-owned company was having terrible back problems. She came to Wudang Mountain, after paying a fee, to repair her body and escape the stress of city life. To her surprise, after one week of practicing Wudang kung fu her physical anxiety was gone. The process invigorated her so much that she asked for leave the next year and spent a whole month on Wudang Mountain. "Staying on Wudang Mountain can cultivate serenity from the inside out, which can also allow you to discover your true desires," Pan Kemin told the Global Times. Every morning in Shanghai, dozens of local residents join the Taoists in practicing taijiquan. It is also a good opportunity for the Taoists to share some simple and practical movements with ordinary citizens.

The Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Mission is made up by elite Taoist disciples of the Wudang School, and includes 55 Taoists, whose average age is 20, the youngest member being only six years old.

Many times monk Song Xianghui has been mistaken for a character from a martial arts film and has been asked if he can fly through practicing qinggong, a type of martial art which is similar to the French sport Parkour. He is used to curiosity and misunderstandings from others, and explains many people are misled to some extent by the martial arts novels and television series, which are often extravagated and show people moving at superhuman speeds and performing gravity-defying stunts such as running on water, scaling high walls, and mounting trees. "I tell people we cannot fly, but can leap higher and move faster than ordinary people," Song told the Global Times.

In the Wudang Taoism School, both male and female disciples are recruited, and treated equally. There is no distinction between males and females in title, and all of them refer to each other as shixiong (senior fellow apprentice) or shidi (junior fellow apprentice) according to when they enrolled in the school. Their actual age is never taken into account.

In some martial arts such as taijiquan, male and female Taoists compete against each other. According to Pan Kemin, it is strictly forbidden to teach Taoist kung fu to people outside of Taoism schools. "However, the Expo is a good opportunity to make the whole world know more about Wudang culture and Taoism, and that's why we have left Wudang Mountain to perform here," said Pan Kemin. "As long as Wudang Taoism can help people live healthier lives, we are glad to share."

Not receiving much exposure in modern times, Taoists are likely to be stereotyped as ascetic vegetarians. In fact, members of Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Mission do not have strict restrictions on diet or other living habits once they stop living in the temple. Accompanying them to Shanghai, however, is their own chef from Wudang Mountain, as their performance at the Expo requires a special diet. "All of the disciples are required to obey the rules while they study on Wudang Mountain; however, once they leave, they are free to make their own choices," said monk Zhu Xiaobo.

Six-year-old Hao Weizheng, together with four other preteen disciples aged from 6 to 12, stands out among the Taoists. Young disciples receive all their education at the Taoism School. "In Taoism, all the apprentices are selected by the masters themselves, usually through fate or a serendipitous meeting," said Zhu Xiaobo, who did not elaborate further.

Taoism goes international

Joost Warsanis, from the Netherlands, has traveled to Shanghai from Wudang Mountain. He planned to visit Wudang Mountain to learn Taoist kung fu this summer, however, the Taoist performance at the Expo made him change his schedule and meet them in Shanghai. "I have spent 20 years studying Chinese martial arts, such as Shaolin kung fu and taijiquan. But I find myself more and more drawn to Wudang taijiquan, so I decided to go to Wudang Mountain to learn it in detail," said Warsanis. "Here in Shanghai it is my first time learning taijiquan from a master."

Wudang kung fu has a history of more than 2,500 years. It is a pure representation of traditional Chinese culture and philosophy and continually attracts many people from all over the world. From June to September every year, many travel to Wudang Mountain, the Taoist holy land, to study. "A few days ago, I met with my former student, a girl from London. During her three-day visit to Shanghai, I helped her to consolidate the old stuff she had learnt from me last year," said Pan Kemin, who has had many foreign students.