China’s Kung Fu Villages Blend Heritage with Tourism Growth
Across China, three ancient villages are proving that martial arts heritage can be a powerful engine for economic development and cultural preservation. From the birthplace of Tai Chi in Henan Province to a Wing Chun stronghold in Guangdong and a remote “Kung Fu Village” in Guizhou, these communities are carving distinctive development paths that blend tradition with tourism, according to a feature published by People’s Daily and republished by Xinhua News.
The Birthplace of Tai Chi Goes Global
Chenjiagou (陈家沟), a village in Wen County, Henan Province, is the birthplace of Tai Chi (Taijiquan), recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. In the 1980s, the village was marked by poverty despite its martial arts legacy. “In the 1980s, Chenjiagou hid peerless martial arts, but also poverty and desolation,” recalled Yan Shuangjun, a local Tai Chi culture promoter.
Today, the transformation is striking. The village now hosts 36 martial arts schools and more than 50 martial arts academies and boutique homestays, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Over 3,000 instructors from Chenjiagou teach Tai Chi in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide.
The “Tai Chi + Manufacturing” model has also taken root, with over 30 garment enterprises and 10 equipment manufacturers providing thousands of local jobs. Wen County’s “Master Return Project” has brought renowned Tai Chi masters like Chen Zhenglei and Chen Xiaowang back to the village, where they have established academies and training centers.
A new generation is also reimagining the ancient practice. Li Linghui, a post-90s native of Chenjiagou, left her job as a university physical education teacher to become a short-video blogger promoting Tai Chi. “Some say Tai Chi is for the elderly. Actually, it can also be very cool and trendy,” she said. Her approach—“inherit without being conservative, innovate without leaving the root”—has attracted online followers who travel to Chenjiagou for in-person training.
Wing Chun’s Rural Heartland
In Guangdong Province, Madong Village in Foshan’s Shunde District has earned its reputation as the hometown of Wing Chun grandmaster Chen Wah-shun, who taught Ip Man—the teacher of Bruce Lee. Designated a Fourth Batch Traditional Chinese Ancient Village, Madong has made martial arts education a cornerstone of community life.
At Dongmaning Primary School, Wing Chun has been part of the curriculum since 2009. The school’s three-tier training system—introductory, general, and advanced—ensures every student can access the martial art. “Being in the hometown of Wing Chun, knowing Wing Chun is a pride,” said 13-year-old student He Jiyang, who won second place in a district martial arts competition in 2025.
Veteran master He Liangxing, who has practiced Wing Chun for over 60 years, maintains the traditional teaching approach at his village academy. “Wing Chun values practical combat, focusing on defeating the opponent in a narrow space with one move,” he explained. He Zhiyuan, the village Party secretary, said Madong will continue using its traditional village status to make Wing Chun “the most brilliant calling card of rural culture.”
The ‘Kung Fu Village’ and the Rise of ‘Cun Wu’
Perhaps the most remarkable story comes from Ganxi Dong Village in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province—known simply as “Kung Fu Village.” Nestled in the mountains, this Dong ethnic minority village has preserved Liujia Quan (Six Families Boxing) and Hongmen Gun (Hongmen Staff) for over 20 generations, with techniques dating back to the Ming Dynasty.
What sets Ganxi apart is the ingenuity of its martial arts. “Many of our weapons are agricultural tools. The Hongmen Gun evolved from carrying poles, and the Gou Lin is actually a sickle,” explained Lu Chenglong, a village historian. The fighting style is designed for confined spaces—practitioners can complete an entire routine on a single square table.
In May 2026, the village launched “Cun Wu” (Village Martial Arts), the latest addition to Guizhou’s grassroots cultural tourism phenomenon following the viral success of “Cun Chao” (Village Super League football) and “Cun BA” (Village Basketball). During the May Day holiday, the Kung Fu Village received 32,600 tourists—a staggering 357.26% year-on-year increase, as reported by Xiongan Finance.
“We have always lacked a unique cultural tourism IP. Dong martial arts have a mass foundation, so the idea of creating the ‘Cun Wu’ brand was born,” said Ou Linling, Director of Tianzhu County Tourism Bureau.
A National Strategy Takes Shape
These village success stories align with China’s broader “Rural Revitalization” strategy and the push for “Cultural Confidence.” In February 2026, the State Council announced a new Traditional Village Characteristic Protection Area Construction program, with central government funding from 2026 to 2028 to support cultural heritage villages nationwide.
The international dimension is equally significant. Tai Chi has spread to over 150 countries, and March 21, 2026, marked the first-ever “International Tai Chi Day”—the first United Nations-recognized international day named after a martial art, celebrated globally including at the Great Wall and in Nepal, as China News Service reported. French practitioner Marklin traveled from France to Chenjiagou for advanced training, remarking: “Only by coming to Chenjiagou can one truly understand the soul of Tai Chi.”
What’s Next
The “Cun Wu” phenomenon represents the latest iteration of China’s grassroots-driven cultural tourism model. Following the blueprint of its predecessors, it aims to combine traditional martial arts performances,擂台 competitions, and ethnic cultural shows into a sustainable tourism product. The key question remains whether these villages can balance commercialization with authentic cultural preservation—and whether the “Cun Wu” brand can achieve the same viral success that transformed “Cun Chao” and “Cun BA” into national sensations.
For now, the three villages offer a compelling template for how intangible cultural heritage can drive rural development. As Tao Guangtao, a martial artist from Ganxi Dong Village, put it: “Learn martial arts, cultivate virtue first.” The same principle may guide these communities as they step onto the world stage.