How many Zhang Sanfengs were there historically?

Examining the history of Taijiquan’s origin from Zhang Sanfeng. How many Zhang Sanfengs were there historically? Let’s first talk about the Song and Yuan dynasty versions of two Zhang Sanfengs.

Zhang Sanfeng of the late Northern Song dynasty

The version of Zhang Sanfeng from the late Northern Song comes from the epitaph Huang Zongxi, a late Ming and early Qing thinker, wrote for his friend Wang Zhengnan.

Wang Zhengnan served in the military in his early years, participated in the struggle to restore the Ming and oppose the Qing, then later retired to seclusion in Ningbo. At that time Huang Zongxi came to lecture there and they became acquainted. Because Wang Zhengnan was a fierce warrior who repeatedly won military merits, after retirement people often came to him hoping to spar, his fame comparable to Master Ip Man in the universe.

Huang Zongxi had his third son Huang Baijia become a disciple of Wang Zhengnan to learn martial arts, and Wang Zhengnan’s most formidable skill was Wudang’s internal martial arts.

After Wang Zhengnan died, Huang Baijia regretted not passing down the true essence of his internal martial arts, saying: “Since I have failed the teacher’s knowledge, then this art has become like the lost 'Guangling San'; how can I bear this?”

Huang Zongxi also deeply admired Wang Zhengnan, so he wrote his epitaph and traced the origins of internal martial arts.

In the literature, the story of Zhang Sanfeng’s era spans from the Song dynasty all the way to the Ming, a period over 300 years.

Thus, it can be seen that this is a typical "target character."

The so-called “target character” is a term from Hu Shi, referring to ancient Chinese historical or legendary figures who have been repeatedly adapted by later generations, with stories snowballing and many deeds attributed to them.

In the Epitaph of Wang Zhengnan, Huang Zongxi mentions that Zhang Sanfeng was a Taoist alchemist on Wudang Mountain during the Northern Song, who was summoned by Emperor Huizong but was obstructed and could not attend court.

It is said Zhang Sanfeng was skilled in Shaolin martial arts in his youth, integrating and innovating new boxing methods. Later, on a journey, he dreamed that the Taoist deity Zhenwu Dadi taught him a set of boxing techniques. The next morning, a group of bandits surrounded him trying to rob him; Zhang Sanfeng used the techniques learned in the dream to fight them, defeating over a hundred and driving them away.

Another story says Zhang Sanfeng was inspired by watching a fight between a bird and a snake on the mountain and thus realized internal martial arts.

Thereafter, during his long Taoist practice, Zhang Sanfeng combined Taoist theory with martial arts and created internal martial arts. A hundred years later, internal martial arts spread from Wudang to various places.

However, Huang Zongxi’s version has doubts: there are no concrete Song dynasty records about Zhang Sanfeng, nor any record of Emperor Huizong summoning him.

Zhang Sanfeng at the end of Song and beginning of Yuan

The Zhang Sanfeng at the Song-Yuan transition is portrayed as a recluse moving from the secular to the transcendental.

According to a self-narrative attributed to Zhang Sanfeng, he once served as magistrate of Zhongshan Boling county in the Yuan dynasty, later resigned, became a monk, and met the Fire Dragon True Man on Zhongnan Mountain who taught him secret techniques; afterwards he cultivated for many years on Wudang Mountain.

Regarding the claim that Zhang Sanfeng was a Yuan early period figure, the History of Ming - Biography of Zhang Sanfeng mentions a key point: Zhang Sanfeng and the early Yuan statesman Liu Bingzhong studied under the same teacher.

Liu Bingzhong was an extraordinary person at the end of Song and beginning of Yuan, who was a lay Buddhist early on and later followed monks to the northern steppes to meet Kublai Khan.

After a conversation, Kublai Khan found Liu Bingzhong versed in Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, astronomy, geography, calendar, and divination — a rare genius. He was invited to stay as an advisor in plain clothes.

Later, Liu Bingzhong became Kublai Khan’s chief advisor and the grand planner of the Mongol Yuan Empire, playing an indispensable role in deciding the country’s name, laws, and building the Yuan capital (modern Beijing), and was granted the title of Grand Protector.

▲ The Yuan version of “Zhang Sanfeng” was a sworn brother of minister Liu Bingzhong.

Kublai Khan gained much support from Confucian scholars in unifying the world, and Zhang， Sanfeng was probably recommended during this period to become a Yuan official.

In the later compiled Complete Works of Zhang Sanfeng, Zhang thanks his senior brother Liu Bingzhong for his support: “Sir, why treat a humble son so greatly? This grace and kindness lifts me.”

During Kublai Khan’s reign, though he favored some Confucians, he appointed Mongols as darughachi (governors) over roads, prefectures, and counties, who had high status and privileges, inevitably suppressing Han Confucians.

Zhang， Sanfeng may have been dissatisfied with this abnormal political situation, so he gradually developed a mindset of renouncing the world and eventually resigned and became a Taoist.

However, the claim that Zhang， Sanfeng was active in early Yuan is also controversial.

Records say Liu Bingzhong, who made great contributions to the Yuan dynasty, died peacefully in 1274 at age 59.

If Zhang， Sanfeng was a contemporary of Liu Bingzhong, had served as a Yuan official and then became a Taoist, by the early Ming he would have been nearly 200 years old, which is obviously unrealistic.

Therefore, after writing that Zhang， Sanfeng shared a master with Liu， Bingzhong, the History of Ming adds: “However, these cannot be verified.”