Controversy Surrounding Zhang Sanfeng

Controversy Surrounding Zhang Sanfeng

On August 5, 2014, Chen Zhenglei—Executive President of the Chen-style Taijiquan Association of Henan Province and 11th-generation direct-line inheritor of Chen-style Taijiquan—held a press conference in Zhengzhou, harshly criticizing the application for Zhang Sanfeng Taijiquan’s inclusion in the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, calling it a “Fairy’s Heritage Application.”

The trigger for the incident was an announcement from the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture on July 16.

In the recommended list for the fourth batch of national-level Intangible Cultural Heritage representative projects released in that announcement, 151 new items were listed, and 147 were extensions. Among these 147 extension items, there were five Taijiquan-related applications, namely: Wu-style Taijiquan from Daxing, Beijing; Li-style Taijiquan from Wuqing, Tianjin; Wang Qihe Taijiquan from Ren County, Hebei; Zhang Sanfeng Taijiquan from Fujian (Shaowu); and He-style Taijiquan from Wenxian, Henan.

According to an article by self-media “Yu Ji,” Chen Zhenglei said that one of the characteristics of intangible cultural heritage is generational inheritance, and most of the standards require transmission through three or more generations—whether within families (father to son), master to disciple, or formal academies. The so-called story that Zhang Sanfeng created Taijiquan is essentially a modern myth of attaching oneself to immortals and Daoist legends. The protection of intangible cultural heritage should not be used to confuse the public.

Some believe that regarding the “Zhang Sanfeng Taijiquan heritage application,” it is unnecessary to be overly critical. First, whether or not Zhang Sanfeng truly existed does not affect the original intent of applying for Taijiquan’s heritage status. For example, the legends of The Legend of the White Snake, The Legend of Ji Gong, and The Butterfly Lovers also cannot be historically verified, yet all have been included in the intangible heritage list. Second, the fact that Zhang Sanfeng may not have been a martial artist is not crucial either. The purpose of the heritage application is to protect Taijiquan culture and expand its influence. In this respect, Zhang Sanfeng is a household name. If Taijiquan is associated with Zhang Sanfeng, its influence will undoubtedly become even greater.

From November 20 to 24, 2014, during the Fifth World Taijiquan Health Conference, Chinese martial arts coach Zeng Nailiang was invited to attend forum events along with Jet Li and representatives from the World Health Organization. At the event, no concrete historical evidence could be presented to support the often-quoted phrase “All Taiji comes from Wudang,” exposing a shortcoming in the research on Taijiquan lineage—though the connection between Daoism and Taiji is commonly known.

In The Complete Works of Sanfeng compiled by Wang Xiling during the Yongzheng reign of the Qing dynasty, as well as in The Complete Works of Master Zhang Sanfeng, revised and published by Li Hanxu during the Daoguang period of the Qing dynasty, there is not a single mention of Zhang Sanfeng practicing martial arts.

In modern times, the Fundamentals of Qigong Science co-authored by Professors Lü Guangrong and Liu Chuyu of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which involves over 200 historical figures and documents across dynasties, also does not contain a single word mentioning Zhang Sanfeng.

In the ninth issue of Wulin magazine in 1982, Mr. Qian Baotian recorded his visit to Wudang:

“We arrived at Zixiao Palace on Wudang Mountain, the largest temple complex there. All the Daoist priests were over 80 years old, and none of them had practiced martial arts. They didn’t even know what ‘Wudang boxing’ was… One Daoist named Chengde said, ‘Zhang Sanfeng had a gentle temperament and was well-versed in Daoist scriptures and laws, but I’ve never heard that he practiced martial arts.’”

The once-popular domestic Wulin magazine also published an account of a visit to Wudang Mountain, discovering that the Daoists at Zixiao Palace had never practiced martial arts. Some even said, “Zhang Sanfeng was well-versed in Daoist scriptures and canons, but we have never heard of him practicing martial arts.” Thus, some believe that the current myth surrounding Zhang Sanfeng’s martial arts was largely created by later generations in the Ming and Qing dynasties, who confused the Song Dynasty’s Zhang Sanfeng with the Zhang Sanfeng of early Ming, and added mysticism to the narrative.

Some scholars have studied and pointed out that the first linkage between Taijiquan and Zhang Sanfeng appeared in the late Qing Dynasty. At that time, the founder of Yang-style Taijiquan used Zhang Sanfeng’s name to promote and gain mainstream recognition for his style. Therefore, Zhang Sanfeng was not the originator of Taijiquan, but Taijiquan undoubtedly embodies the Daoist spirit of the union of yin and yang and the balance of hardness and softness.

What do you think?