http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/ Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:01:30 -0500 MyBB http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=20 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:40:41 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=20 Botanical Name:
Eomecon chionantha (血水草)









Other names:
Chinese bloodroot, Chinese snow poppy, Eastern poppy, Poppy of the dawn, Dawn poppy
Description:
A rare relative of our native bloodroot, only one species of this Chinese native exists. Spreading by underground rhizomes, long reddish petioles host glaucous, nearly succulent leaves that look like large wavy-edged hearts marked by light veining. Four-petaled, nearly transparent white flowers arranged in airy terminal panicles are anchored by prominent yellow stamens. At home in very shady places, let this exotic perennial colonize the ground beneath Kerria japonica ‘Albiflora’.
Species:
E. chionantha ~ E. chionantha is a vigorous, spreading, rhizomatous perennial with heart, kidney or arrow-shaped, leathery, grey-green leaves and upright, branching stems bearing loose panicles of white, poppy-like flowers in late spring to midsummer.
Drug action in TCM:
Bitter and cold in nature, minor toxin. Clear heat, resolve toxin, quicken the blood, stanch bleeding. Externally used for eczema, sore, nameless sores or boils, venomous snake bite, injuries from falls, to be taken orally for treating lumbar muscle strain, tuberculosis, hemoptysis]]> Botanical Name:
Eomecon chionantha (血水草)









Other names:
Chinese bloodroot, Chinese snow poppy, Eastern poppy, Poppy of the dawn, Dawn poppy
Description:
A rare relative of our native bloodroot, only one species of this Chinese native exists. Spreading by underground rhizomes, long reddish petioles host glaucous, nearly succulent leaves that look like large wavy-edged hearts marked by light veining. Four-petaled, nearly transparent white flowers arranged in airy terminal panicles are anchored by prominent yellow stamens. At home in very shady places, let this exotic perennial colonize the ground beneath Kerria japonica ‘Albiflora’.
Species:
E. chionantha ~ E. chionantha is a vigorous, spreading, rhizomatous perennial with heart, kidney or arrow-shaped, leathery, grey-green leaves and upright, branching stems bearing loose panicles of white, poppy-like flowers in late spring to midsummer.
Drug action in TCM:
Bitter and cold in nature, minor toxin. Clear heat, resolve toxin, quicken the blood, stanch bleeding. Externally used for eczema, sore, nameless sores or boils, venomous snake bite, injuries from falls, to be taken orally for treating lumbar muscle strain, tuberculosis, hemoptysis]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=19 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:17:34 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=19 Latin Name:
Trillium tschonoskii (头顶一颗珠)



Description:
The three leaves of Trillium tschonoskii emerge as a "whorl" & look very much like a propeller whirligig, though they soon straighten out into a more typical trillium leaf-set. Asthey mature, the leaves become fully round. The majority of trillium species have pointed leaves, so Tschonoski's trillium stands out as quite different with its set of circular leaves.

The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.
Forests, moist places along ravines, shady and rocky places on hillsides。

Species
Trillium tschonoskii Maxim.
Family
Melanthiaceae

Drug actions in TCM
Quicken the blood, stanch bleeding, disperse swelling, relieve pain, dis[el wind, eliminate dampness. Often used to treat hypertension, headache, neuroasthenia, dizziness, injuries from falls.]]> Latin Name:
Trillium tschonoskii (头顶一颗珠)



Description:
The three leaves of Trillium tschonoskii emerge as a "whorl" & look very much like a propeller whirligig, though they soon straighten out into a more typical trillium leaf-set. Asthey mature, the leaves become fully round. The majority of trillium species have pointed leaves, so Tschonoski's trillium stands out as quite different with its set of circular leaves.

The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.
Forests, moist places along ravines, shady and rocky places on hillsides。

Species
Trillium tschonoskii Maxim.
Family
Melanthiaceae

Drug actions in TCM
Quicken the blood, stanch bleeding, disperse swelling, relieve pain, dis[el wind, eliminate dampness. Often used to treat hypertension, headache, neuroasthenia, dizziness, injuries from falls.]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=16 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:13:38 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=16 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/
October 7th 2009 by BrendainChina

I was supposed to meet Helen at 12:30, and I had this grand plan that I was going to get up at 9:00 and get everything ready.. Well, at 11:30 I got up because there was knock at my door. I couldn't decide if it was my door or not, so I didn't get up until the second knock. It was Kyle. I'm sure I looked a mess in my pajamas and glasses. He asked if I was still going on the trip, what time, and with who(m?).. I answered him, and he was like, well, I just wanted to say have a good trip and smiled. I REALLY think he was going to ask me if I wanted to get some lunch before I left, but he noticed I was nowhere near ready. He asked if I wanted his knee brace because it was really sweaty. I said, "Umm.. I think I'm good."

I got in the shower after that and started packing. Helen called a few minutes after 12 and asked if I was ready. I told her I needed a few minutes, and she asked if she could come to my apartment. I said sure, and within


Wudang at Night
like 2 minutes she was there. She knocked maybe 3 times before I got to the door. I've learned that Chinese people aren't the most patient when it comes to someone answering the door.

She came in and sat at the table. She said that the bus would not leave til 1:30, so we had time. I got on my computer. She came in and stood there. I told her she could sit down, so she did. I asked if she wanted an orange or water. She said no. I asked if she wanted to watch t.v.. She said no. She just wanted to have a rest.. aka sleep on the couch.

We left about 12:45 to go buy some water and snacks. I bought a bottle of juice, a bottle of water, and some little bears. We got on the bus and waited. Turns out I had to go to the bathroom. I didn't have enough time to go use it though. We left right on time and made random stops. I was hoping the bus wouldn't be very full, but it ended up having people sitting on little fold up stools in the aisles. It was


The Dreadful Bus
ridiculous. Helen said we'd be at Wudang Mountain by 3:20. At about 3:30 I didn't think I was going to make it - I had to go to the bathroom so bad. 3:40 or so rolled around and we got off.

I told Helen as soon as we got off that I had to go to the bathroom. We found one.. well, it was outside with some brick walls and holes in the cement floor. There were bugs and flies everywhere. When we left we discovered you had to pay .5 yuan to use it. Oh well.

We walked around while Helen stopped everyone to ask questions. I had no idea what was going on. Then she told me that it would be cheaper to find somewhere to stay the night and just climb the mountain tomorrow. Great. We walked around some more while she asked questions. She talked to a local store owner, and she told me that we would stay at their home for 100 yuan. We would have one bedroom with two beds. I thought that was real weird/awkward, but who was I to argue? So, we waited for the guy to go get his


Wudang Mountain
car.. aka a van. I'm not gonna lie... I was nervous.

We went to his home, and the one bedroom and two beds turned into one bedroom with one tiny bed and someone sleeping on the couch. Not cool. We paid him anyway, and he left us there.

Helen decided she wanted to go walk around the town of Wudang. We went to a bunch of different shops for her to look at the exact same things every time - a mirror, jewelry, and keychains. At about 5:30 I said something about dinner. It occurred to me that I hadn't eaten anything except an orange all day. We went to a restaurant in the supermarket. She asked if I liked spicy food, and then she asked if I liked acid food. I didn't know how to answer because I didn't know what "acid food" meant. She ordered and we sat down. She asked if I liked beef. Luckily I do.. she ordered something that had tomatoes (it's funny how many times I have said I didn't care for cooked tomatoes, and I always seem to get them), beef, and "flounce". Look up flounce and tell me what it


Temple
Helen asked me to take a picture of her praying.
means... it's not a food. Then she told me it tasted like Wrigley's Doublemint Spearmint gum. I was super nervous. They brought it out and it was on a plate that had a huge leaf like thing on it. The rice, tomatoes and beef were on top. It was actually good. They served us hot water. The more I get hot water, the more I hate it. While we ate she asked what Americans ate for dinner. She said that she always saw them eating steak (she didn't know the word steak, so I had to help her) and drinking red wine on the television. I explained that not everyone eats that.. and it's not something you would eat all the time.

After dinner we went to the supermarket. She bought food because the food on the mountain was supposed to be really expensive. I didn't buy anything... I had my little bears and an orange.. and I didn't know what to buy.

We went to a make up shop after that. She decided she would get a makeover. (It's dark outside at this point.) I sat and waited and played on my iPod. One of the employees


Wudang Mountain
watched me play Cowboy Slingshot. It was crazy. I feel like it took forever.

We decided to go back to where we were staying after that. On the way, Helen said, "Look! There are foreigners!! Do you want to talk to them?" I didn't have time to answer before she started dragging me over. They turned out to be from Switzerland, but they had moved to South Carolina. The lady was asking me how I became a teacher.. she was really interested. I just said I had a friend. Helen asked me after we talked if they were Swedish. I said, "No. That would mean they are from Sweden. Those people were Swiss." We saw a boy walking the other way who was American. She said hello, and he said, "Nihao." She got super excited.

We finally got home, and the shop owner's dad told us we could have the other bedroom with the big bed in it. So we moved our stuff in there. I looked at the bed, and the sheets didn't look real clean. I took the cleaner looking side. His wife was going to sleep in the other room. She came in and talked


Souvenirs
I thought this was an interesting collection of things to buy.
to Helen and just stared at me.

We went to bed about 10. About 10:10, Kyle sent me a message asking how my trip was. I told him we were staying at someone's house, and he replied with, "Awesome! I like staying with people. Hopefully it will be a good experience." I slept terribly. Helen asked me if I wanted to keep the night light above the bed on. I said, "That's okay." meaning, "no." Well, don't say "that's okay" because to her that meant "yes. please keep it on." She turned it off around 2 am I'd say.

The next morning I woke up at 6:30. Helen said it was time to get up. We went and had breakfast. I had these not so good dry noodles and some drink that was "like milk but made from beans". It wasn't too bad, actually. We went back to the place we stayed and walked with the lady to the mountain. We took this shortcut that turned into walking up this crazy steep hill that had a random trail on it. It was insane.

We bought our tickets and went to the bus to ride to the bottom


Wudang Mountain
of the mountain. There was a baby across the aisle from me. I thought she was really cute until she started throwing up. It was so gross. I looked over at Helen a few minutes later, and she had her hand over her mouth. She got someone to get her a bag. She didn't actually throw up, but she came close. I felt really sick by the time we got off the bus. It was bad. Oh, one of the girls on the bus had pants on that had "Teenie Weenie" written across the back. Why would you wear something like that?

So we got off the bus, and it turns out the mountain is walking up about a million stairs. I kept thinking about going to Scotland and walking up all those stairs to see the castles. I kept thinking I would love to just sprint up those right then.. It was rough. There would be like 60 stairs, a little break, and then 60 more. My legs were aching. We made it up to what we thought was the top and then discovered that it wasn't. Helen said something about paying 20 yuan for a ticket to


Wudang Mountain
see some buildings and yellow gold. At that point, I didn't even care to see it. I said I would just wait for her where we were thinking she'd come back and we'd go to the top. I was wrong. She came back and was like, "Are you ready to go back down?" So, I didn't even make it to the top.. but you know what? I don't really care. I've decided that mountain climbing isn't my thing. You climb all the way to the top just to go back down.

While we were on the mountain we saw the same foreigner we saw the night before... the one who I thought was American. Helen ran up to him, and he came over and we talked for a few minutes. He was a teacher somewhere else. His name was Matt. He was cute. He asked if we were going to the top. I said, "Yeah... maybe." He told us that the guy with him kept telling him they were halfway there so he didn't know how much longer they had.

Another thing that was interesting was that they had men who carried you up the mountain on those


Wudang Mountain
little seats that they put over their shoulders.. it always makes me think of royalty. They all kept asking me if I wanted to ride. I kept saying no.. but it didn't stop them from asking over and over.

We were going to take a cable car down, but the wait was 4 hours. We walked down. I for real thought my legs were going to give out. It was nuts. We finally made it to the bottom and then had to get back on the bus. We thought it was too late for a bus, so we had called a taxi, but then some girls came running up and said there was a bus to take us. I was getting really irritated because I was hungry and exhausted, and I kept thinking, "Be fascinated... not frustrated" because I knew if I let it get to me, my whiny/angry side would come out. I put in my earphones and blasted my iPod the whole trip to DJK. Helen slept on my shoulder.

We took a taxi back to the school because the bus only took us to our city. We went to the crunchy rice place at 9:00


Fountain
pm for dinner. I got my usual, and it was the best thing I've ever tasted.. I was so glad to be home.

I opened my apartment door and the mouse went running. I lost it in the living room, so I just waited for it. It came running, and I had it trapped until I opened the door to the kitchen. It went in there and found it's way out before Kyle got there to get it for me.. I hate that thing. It's tricky.

And that's the end.]]> http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/
October 7th 2009 by BrendainChina

I was supposed to meet Helen at 12:30, and I had this grand plan that I was going to get up at 9:00 and get everything ready.. Well, at 11:30 I got up because there was knock at my door. I couldn't decide if it was my door or not, so I didn't get up until the second knock. It was Kyle. I'm sure I looked a mess in my pajamas and glasses. He asked if I was still going on the trip, what time, and with who(m?).. I answered him, and he was like, well, I just wanted to say have a good trip and smiled. I REALLY think he was going to ask me if I wanted to get some lunch before I left, but he noticed I was nowhere near ready. He asked if I wanted his knee brace because it was really sweaty. I said, "Umm.. I think I'm good."

I got in the shower after that and started packing. Helen called a few minutes after 12 and asked if I was ready. I told her I needed a few minutes, and she asked if she could come to my apartment. I said sure, and within


Wudang at Night
like 2 minutes she was there. She knocked maybe 3 times before I got to the door. I've learned that Chinese people aren't the most patient when it comes to someone answering the door.

She came in and sat at the table. She said that the bus would not leave til 1:30, so we had time. I got on my computer. She came in and stood there. I told her she could sit down, so she did. I asked if she wanted an orange or water. She said no. I asked if she wanted to watch t.v.. She said no. She just wanted to have a rest.. aka sleep on the couch.

We left about 12:45 to go buy some water and snacks. I bought a bottle of juice, a bottle of water, and some little bears. We got on the bus and waited. Turns out I had to go to the bathroom. I didn't have enough time to go use it though. We left right on time and made random stops. I was hoping the bus wouldn't be very full, but it ended up having people sitting on little fold up stools in the aisles. It was


The Dreadful Bus
ridiculous. Helen said we'd be at Wudang Mountain by 3:20. At about 3:30 I didn't think I was going to make it - I had to go to the bathroom so bad. 3:40 or so rolled around and we got off.

I told Helen as soon as we got off that I had to go to the bathroom. We found one.. well, it was outside with some brick walls and holes in the cement floor. There were bugs and flies everywhere. When we left we discovered you had to pay .5 yuan to use it. Oh well.

We walked around while Helen stopped everyone to ask questions. I had no idea what was going on. Then she told me that it would be cheaper to find somewhere to stay the night and just climb the mountain tomorrow. Great. We walked around some more while she asked questions. She talked to a local store owner, and she told me that we would stay at their home for 100 yuan. We would have one bedroom with two beds. I thought that was real weird/awkward, but who was I to argue? So, we waited for the guy to go get his


Wudang Mountain
car.. aka a van. I'm not gonna lie... I was nervous.

We went to his home, and the one bedroom and two beds turned into one bedroom with one tiny bed and someone sleeping on the couch. Not cool. We paid him anyway, and he left us there.

Helen decided she wanted to go walk around the town of Wudang. We went to a bunch of different shops for her to look at the exact same things every time - a mirror, jewelry, and keychains. At about 5:30 I said something about dinner. It occurred to me that I hadn't eaten anything except an orange all day. We went to a restaurant in the supermarket. She asked if I liked spicy food, and then she asked if I liked acid food. I didn't know how to answer because I didn't know what "acid food" meant. She ordered and we sat down. She asked if I liked beef. Luckily I do.. she ordered something that had tomatoes (it's funny how many times I have said I didn't care for cooked tomatoes, and I always seem to get them), beef, and "flounce". Look up flounce and tell me what it


Temple
Helen asked me to take a picture of her praying.
means... it's not a food. Then she told me it tasted like Wrigley's Doublemint Spearmint gum. I was super nervous. They brought it out and it was on a plate that had a huge leaf like thing on it. The rice, tomatoes and beef were on top. It was actually good. They served us hot water. The more I get hot water, the more I hate it. While we ate she asked what Americans ate for dinner. She said that she always saw them eating steak (she didn't know the word steak, so I had to help her) and drinking red wine on the television. I explained that not everyone eats that.. and it's not something you would eat all the time.

After dinner we went to the supermarket. She bought food because the food on the mountain was supposed to be really expensive. I didn't buy anything... I had my little bears and an orange.. and I didn't know what to buy.

We went to a make up shop after that. She decided she would get a makeover. (It's dark outside at this point.) I sat and waited and played on my iPod. One of the employees


Wudang Mountain
watched me play Cowboy Slingshot. It was crazy. I feel like it took forever.

We decided to go back to where we were staying after that. On the way, Helen said, "Look! There are foreigners!! Do you want to talk to them?" I didn't have time to answer before she started dragging me over. They turned out to be from Switzerland, but they had moved to South Carolina. The lady was asking me how I became a teacher.. she was really interested. I just said I had a friend. Helen asked me after we talked if they were Swedish. I said, "No. That would mean they are from Sweden. Those people were Swiss." We saw a boy walking the other way who was American. She said hello, and he said, "Nihao." She got super excited.

We finally got home, and the shop owner's dad told us we could have the other bedroom with the big bed in it. So we moved our stuff in there. I looked at the bed, and the sheets didn't look real clean. I took the cleaner looking side. His wife was going to sleep in the other room. She came in and talked


Souvenirs
I thought this was an interesting collection of things to buy.
to Helen and just stared at me.

We went to bed about 10. About 10:10, Kyle sent me a message asking how my trip was. I told him we were staying at someone's house, and he replied with, "Awesome! I like staying with people. Hopefully it will be a good experience." I slept terribly. Helen asked me if I wanted to keep the night light above the bed on. I said, "That's okay." meaning, "no." Well, don't say "that's okay" because to her that meant "yes. please keep it on." She turned it off around 2 am I'd say.

The next morning I woke up at 6:30. Helen said it was time to get up. We went and had breakfast. I had these not so good dry noodles and some drink that was "like milk but made from beans". It wasn't too bad, actually. We went back to the place we stayed and walked with the lady to the mountain. We took this shortcut that turned into walking up this crazy steep hill that had a random trail on it. It was insane.

We bought our tickets and went to the bus to ride to the bottom


Wudang Mountain
of the mountain. There was a baby across the aisle from me. I thought she was really cute until she started throwing up. It was so gross. I looked over at Helen a few minutes later, and she had her hand over her mouth. She got someone to get her a bag. She didn't actually throw up, but she came close. I felt really sick by the time we got off the bus. It was bad. Oh, one of the girls on the bus had pants on that had "Teenie Weenie" written across the back. Why would you wear something like that?

So we got off the bus, and it turns out the mountain is walking up about a million stairs. I kept thinking about going to Scotland and walking up all those stairs to see the castles. I kept thinking I would love to just sprint up those right then.. It was rough. There would be like 60 stairs, a little break, and then 60 more. My legs were aching. We made it up to what we thought was the top and then discovered that it wasn't. Helen said something about paying 20 yuan for a ticket to


Wudang Mountain
see some buildings and yellow gold. At that point, I didn't even care to see it. I said I would just wait for her where we were thinking she'd come back and we'd go to the top. I was wrong. She came back and was like, "Are you ready to go back down?" So, I didn't even make it to the top.. but you know what? I don't really care. I've decided that mountain climbing isn't my thing. You climb all the way to the top just to go back down.

While we were on the mountain we saw the same foreigner we saw the night before... the one who I thought was American. Helen ran up to him, and he came over and we talked for a few minutes. He was a teacher somewhere else. His name was Matt. He was cute. He asked if we were going to the top. I said, "Yeah... maybe." He told us that the guy with him kept telling him they were halfway there so he didn't know how much longer they had.

Another thing that was interesting was that they had men who carried you up the mountain on those


Wudang Mountain
little seats that they put over their shoulders.. it always makes me think of royalty. They all kept asking me if I wanted to ride. I kept saying no.. but it didn't stop them from asking over and over.

We were going to take a cable car down, but the wait was 4 hours. We walked down. I for real thought my legs were going to give out. It was nuts. We finally made it to the bottom and then had to get back on the bus. We thought it was too late for a bus, so we had called a taxi, but then some girls came running up and said there was a bus to take us. I was getting really irritated because I was hungry and exhausted, and I kept thinking, "Be fascinated... not frustrated" because I knew if I let it get to me, my whiny/angry side would come out. I put in my earphones and blasted my iPod the whole trip to DJK. Helen slept on my shoulder.

We took a taxi back to the school because the bus only took us to our city. We went to the crunchy rice place at 9:00


Fountain
pm for dinner. I got my usual, and it was the best thing I've ever tasted.. I was so glad to be home.

I opened my apartment door and the mouse went running. I lost it in the living room, so I just waited for it. It came running, and I had it trapped until I opened the door to the kitchen. It went in there and found it's way out before Kyle got there to get it for me.. I hate that thing. It's tricky.

And that's the end.]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=15 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:07:10 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=15 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/
July 29th 2009 by JHG

The adventure to Wudang Shan itself was interesting... We set off, shunning the guided tour option and deciding to do it ourselves!

So, from the bus station (that wasn't where the bus went from), we got a taxi to the train station, in order to catch the bus?! Walking round rather aimlessley, we were looking for a ticket office, or a bus station - telling a few indivuals that we wanted to get to Wudang Shan.

Then, a bus is rolling its way towards me, and the driver is waving me over, calling "Wudang Shan" out of the window! - Of course - don't bother looking for a ticket or a bus station...just wait for them to shout your destination at you!

Then for the rest of the journey, the minibus would pull over and collect others off the road side. One driver, one person to collect money, and one person to call out of the window drumming up business!

Once at Wudang Shan, the holy mountain - well known for martial arts as well - we took a bus ride up to quite a height and then began the 4km climb up to the Golden summit.


DC nearly at the top
It was a long long climb...mainly steps as well. I likened it to spending 2 hours on a stairmaster! Thankfully the weather was cool, and there was a nice breeze. Views along the way were excellent as well.

Once we made it tot he top after over 2 hours of climbing, we had one more stretch up to the Golden Palace. It was a lovely shrine, built in the 1400's. How they got all those building materials up there in the 1400's I will never know.

There was a cool looking old Chinese dude at the top - something important to do with the shrine I believe.
Again, the views were fantastic, and I'm glad I made it up there. There were lots and lots of double-heart shaped padlocks around the chains leading all the way up to the Golden summit - representing a couple's love.

Thankfully there was a steep cable-car ride and a bus journey to take us back to base, and begin yet another interesting journey back to the hotel. Once again there were three people - one for money, one for business and a driver. This time however, the bus had some vacant


Double Hearts
Couples lock them onto the chain to symbolise everlasting love!
seats quite early on in teh journey, so there was some teamwork with the bus behind, and we all piled off onto that bus whilst the previous bus did a u-turn. Then, as we approached our destination, we got bumped off again onto another, public bus behind! Ask no questions, and go where they point...you'll get there eventually!!

Dinner was a good bit of pot-luck! I knew the chinese symbol for beef, so ordered 2 dishes with beef, not knowing what was coming. Thankfully a delicious bowl of beef noodles arrived!

Next leg of the journey....an overnight bus to Luoyang....

J x


The Golden Summit


Taoist legend - at the top


View from the top of Wudang Shan]]> http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/
July 29th 2009 by JHG

The adventure to Wudang Shan itself was interesting... We set off, shunning the guided tour option and deciding to do it ourselves!

So, from the bus station (that wasn't where the bus went from), we got a taxi to the train station, in order to catch the bus?! Walking round rather aimlessley, we were looking for a ticket office, or a bus station - telling a few indivuals that we wanted to get to Wudang Shan.

Then, a bus is rolling its way towards me, and the driver is waving me over, calling "Wudang Shan" out of the window! - Of course - don't bother looking for a ticket or a bus station...just wait for them to shout your destination at you!

Then for the rest of the journey, the minibus would pull over and collect others off the road side. One driver, one person to collect money, and one person to call out of the window drumming up business!

Once at Wudang Shan, the holy mountain - well known for martial arts as well - we took a bus ride up to quite a height and then began the 4km climb up to the Golden summit.


DC nearly at the top
It was a long long climb...mainly steps as well. I likened it to spending 2 hours on a stairmaster! Thankfully the weather was cool, and there was a nice breeze. Views along the way were excellent as well.

Once we made it tot he top after over 2 hours of climbing, we had one more stretch up to the Golden Palace. It was a lovely shrine, built in the 1400's. How they got all those building materials up there in the 1400's I will never know.

There was a cool looking old Chinese dude at the top - something important to do with the shrine I believe.
Again, the views were fantastic, and I'm glad I made it up there. There were lots and lots of double-heart shaped padlocks around the chains leading all the way up to the Golden summit - representing a couple's love.

Thankfully there was a steep cable-car ride and a bus journey to take us back to base, and begin yet another interesting journey back to the hotel. Once again there were three people - one for money, one for business and a driver. This time however, the bus had some vacant


Double Hearts
Couples lock them onto the chain to symbolise everlasting love!
seats quite early on in teh journey, so there was some teamwork with the bus behind, and we all piled off onto that bus whilst the previous bus did a u-turn. Then, as we approached our destination, we got bumped off again onto another, public bus behind! Ask no questions, and go where they point...you'll get there eventually!!

Dinner was a good bit of pot-luck! I knew the chinese symbol for beef, so ordered 2 dishes with beef, not knowing what was coming. Thankfully a delicious bowl of beef noodles arrived!

Next leg of the journey....an overnight bus to Luoyang....

J x


The Golden Summit


Taoist legend - at the top


View from the top of Wudang Shan]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=14 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:32:19 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=14 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/
June 16th 2008 by Rigo

On a bit of a whim, we decided to stop off at the town/mountain of Wudang Shan, on the way to Xi'an. It proved to be a rather difficult and stressful diversion. Firstly, the convenient travel arrangements which I'd researched were scuppered by the recent earthquake in Sichuan province - the line we needed was being used as a supply route so passenger services were reduced. We thus arrived at 1 in the morning, and took the first grotty hotel which was offered to us. The following day we tried to follow Lonely Planet's rather vague advice to reach the mountain village of Nanyan, with considerable lack of success - the only way up seemed to require a major lightening of our wallets. We had a stroke of luck, however, when we met a young man who spoke decent English. It emerged that, since his return from a spell in our dear country, he had been hard at work revamping tourism on the mountain - he was in fact the director of the project. The fee actually included transport to the top, unlimited bus travel on the mountain and the park entry fee. So not quite as extortionate as we first


Purple Cloud Temple

The lower part of this beautiful complex. thought! Nevetheless, we were feeling pretty jaded about the whole affair, and wondered if we should ever have come.

Those feelings were quelled as soon as we stepped into the Purple Sky Temple (or other similar translation) near Nanyan. The weathered staircases, beautiful azure-tiled roofs, numerous dark blue-robed monks roaming peacefully and beautiful mountainside location made it feel like we had walked into the set of a kung fu film.

The next day we rose relatively early to get started on the trek to the top. At first we were a little surprised to find ourselves descending, to reach a little temple containing a shrine to Zhang San Feng, the inventer of taichi. After that, however, it was an arduously steep ascent to the top - with the misnamed "hundred step stairway" providing many times that number of steps, and these constituted only a tiny fraction of the overall climb. Eventually we reached a temple complex which acted as the gateway to the summit, for which we were required to pay a small surcharge.

From this point forward the sights were simply awe-inspiring. By now the gathering mists had reduced the visibility to a few metres -


Mystical Stairway

Very near the summit. whilst this spoilt the (assumed) mountain views, it greaty enhanced the mystical atmosphere of this spiritual peak. Oddly enough, both Chris and I were reminded of the level in the videogame Unreal Tournament which takes the form of a rather treacherous mountaintop temple. The climb to, and subsequent descent from, the summit has defininitely been one of the highlights of my trip. The gnarled trees, thick mists and ancient constructions all helped to evoke a genuine spiritual aura - if I was going to have an epiphany anywhere it would surely have been here!

Sadly we didn't have time to stay longer, and returned to Wudang Shan town for another night (we chose a much better hotel this time). The next day, my birthday, was spent wandering around town in the drizzle, before embarking on our train journey to Xi'an. The main leg of this trip was spent, for the first time, in a hard sleeper cabin which proved to be surprisingly comfortable. We played poker with a slice of banana cake as the stake, then enjoyed a comparitively good night's sleep.


Lion Guardians
This was one of two guardians of the stairway which led to the Purple Cloud Temple.


Huixian Bridge
I'm deducing that this is the Huxian Bridge from the description in Lonely Planet. It was about half way up the mountain on the 3 Heavenly Gates route.


Caterpillar
We saw hundreds of these awesome beasts on the trail.]]> http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/
June 16th 2008 by Rigo

On a bit of a whim, we decided to stop off at the town/mountain of Wudang Shan, on the way to Xi'an. It proved to be a rather difficult and stressful diversion. Firstly, the convenient travel arrangements which I'd researched were scuppered by the recent earthquake in Sichuan province - the line we needed was being used as a supply route so passenger services were reduced. We thus arrived at 1 in the morning, and took the first grotty hotel which was offered to us. The following day we tried to follow Lonely Planet's rather vague advice to reach the mountain village of Nanyan, with considerable lack of success - the only way up seemed to require a major lightening of our wallets. We had a stroke of luck, however, when we met a young man who spoke decent English. It emerged that, since his return from a spell in our dear country, he had been hard at work revamping tourism on the mountain - he was in fact the director of the project. The fee actually included transport to the top, unlimited bus travel on the mountain and the park entry fee. So not quite as extortionate as we first


Purple Cloud Temple

The lower part of this beautiful complex. thought! Nevetheless, we were feeling pretty jaded about the whole affair, and wondered if we should ever have come.

Those feelings were quelled as soon as we stepped into the Purple Sky Temple (or other similar translation) near Nanyan. The weathered staircases, beautiful azure-tiled roofs, numerous dark blue-robed monks roaming peacefully and beautiful mountainside location made it feel like we had walked into the set of a kung fu film.

The next day we rose relatively early to get started on the trek to the top. At first we were a little surprised to find ourselves descending, to reach a little temple containing a shrine to Zhang San Feng, the inventer of taichi. After that, however, it was an arduously steep ascent to the top - with the misnamed "hundred step stairway" providing many times that number of steps, and these constituted only a tiny fraction of the overall climb. Eventually we reached a temple complex which acted as the gateway to the summit, for which we were required to pay a small surcharge.

From this point forward the sights were simply awe-inspiring. By now the gathering mists had reduced the visibility to a few metres -


Mystical Stairway

Very near the summit. whilst this spoilt the (assumed) mountain views, it greaty enhanced the mystical atmosphere of this spiritual peak. Oddly enough, both Chris and I were reminded of the level in the videogame Unreal Tournament which takes the form of a rather treacherous mountaintop temple. The climb to, and subsequent descent from, the summit has defininitely been one of the highlights of my trip. The gnarled trees, thick mists and ancient constructions all helped to evoke a genuine spiritual aura - if I was going to have an epiphany anywhere it would surely have been here!

Sadly we didn't have time to stay longer, and returned to Wudang Shan town for another night (we chose a much better hotel this time). The next day, my birthday, was spent wandering around town in the drizzle, before embarking on our train journey to Xi'an. The main leg of this trip was spent, for the first time, in a hard sleeper cabin which proved to be surprisingly comfortable. We played poker with a slice of banana cake as the stake, then enjoyed a comparitively good night's sleep.


Lion Guardians
This was one of two guardians of the stairway which led to the Purple Cloud Temple.


Huixian Bridge
I'm deducing that this is the Huxian Bridge from the description in Lonely Planet. It was about half way up the mountain on the 3 Heavenly Gates route.


Caterpillar
We saw hundreds of these awesome beasts on the trail.]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=13 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:19:39 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=13


Latin Name: Ganoderma
Common Name: Ganoderma, lucid ganoderma, reishi mushroom
Scientific Name: Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss. Ex Fr.) Karst / Ganoderma japonicum (Fr.) Lloyd
Nature and Taste：Sweet and bitter in tastes, neutral in nature, and manifests its therapeutic actions in the heart, lung, spleen and kidney meridians.
Drug actions in TCM: Nourish the heart, calm the spirit, enrich qi (vital energy) and blood, relieve cough or breathing difficulty, and general tonification.
Traditional Uses in TCM: In TCM practice, ganoderma is used for conditions like general weakness, cough, breath difficulty, insomnia, forgetfulness, poor appetite and indigestion:

1. Heart dysfunction causing restless spirit will have signs like insomnia, forgetfulness and fatigue. The condition can be relieved by ganoderma combined with angelica root, sour jujube seed and longan aril.
2. Spleen deficiency leading to poor appetite and fatigue can be relieved by ganoderma combined with pilose asiabell root, largehead atractylodes rhizome and astragalus root.
3. Lung deficiency leading to cough and breath shortness can be relieved by ganoderma combined with cordyceps and tokay.
4. Ganoderma used alone promotes the production of blood and qi, which is benefit for signs like indigestion, poor appetite, fatigue, loose bowels, dizziness and soreness in the lumbar.]]>


Latin Name: Ganoderma
Common Name: Ganoderma, lucid ganoderma, reishi mushroom
Scientific Name: Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss. Ex Fr.) Karst / Ganoderma japonicum (Fr.) Lloyd
Nature and Taste：Sweet and bitter in tastes, neutral in nature, and manifests its therapeutic actions in the heart, lung, spleen and kidney meridians.
Drug actions in TCM: Nourish the heart, calm the spirit, enrich qi (vital energy) and blood, relieve cough or breathing difficulty, and general tonification.
Traditional Uses in TCM: In TCM practice, ganoderma is used for conditions like general weakness, cough, breath difficulty, insomnia, forgetfulness, poor appetite and indigestion:

1. Heart dysfunction causing restless spirit will have signs like insomnia, forgetfulness and fatigue. The condition can be relieved by ganoderma combined with angelica root, sour jujube seed and longan aril.
2. Spleen deficiency leading to poor appetite and fatigue can be relieved by ganoderma combined with pilose asiabell root, largehead atractylodes rhizome and astragalus root.
3. Lung deficiency leading to cough and breath shortness can be relieved by ganoderma combined with cordyceps and tokay.
4. Ganoderma used alone promotes the production of blood and qi, which is benefit for signs like indigestion, poor appetite, fatigue, loose bowels, dizziness and soreness in the lumbar.]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=12 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:00:46 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=12





Latin Name: Balanophora involucrata, Balanophora japonica, Balanophora spicata Hayata
Description: Balanophora involucrata is a bizarre plant. Looking more like a fungus than a flowering plant, Balanophora is an obligate parasite on other plants. It attaches its rhizomes to the roots of its host, deriving all its nutrition by this mechanism. Unlike typical plants, the small proportion of holoparasitic flowering plants such as Balanophora do not possess chlorophyll, the molecule that is critical for converting the energy of the sun into food. Its leaves are highly reduced, existing only as scale-like objects hugging the thick stem. Its flowers are also highly reduced and the male and female parts occur on separate flowers.
Only 16 species in the genus Balanophora are known, occurring in Africa and Australia as well as eastern Asia. Its relative rarity and inconspicuous nature (they need no sunlight and thus can occur in the deep shade of their hosts) make it very special.
Drug actions in TCM: stanch bleeding， engender flesh, ease pain. Among the local people it is often used to treat stomach illness, nasal bleeding, haemophilia during monthly period, dysentery and traumatic bleeding]]>





Latin Name: Balanophora involucrata, Balanophora japonica, Balanophora spicata Hayata
Description: Balanophora involucrata is a bizarre plant. Looking more like a fungus than a flowering plant, Balanophora is an obligate parasite on other plants. It attaches its rhizomes to the roots of its host, deriving all its nutrition by this mechanism. Unlike typical plants, the small proportion of holoparasitic flowering plants such as Balanophora do not possess chlorophyll, the molecule that is critical for converting the energy of the sun into food. Its leaves are highly reduced, existing only as scale-like objects hugging the thick stem. Its flowers are also highly reduced and the male and female parts occur on separate flowers.
Only 16 species in the genus Balanophora are known, occurring in Africa and Australia as well as eastern Asia. Its relative rarity and inconspicuous nature (they need no sunlight and thus can occur in the deep shade of their hosts) make it very special.
Drug actions in TCM: stanch bleeding， engender flesh, ease pain. Among the local people it is often used to treat stomach illness, nasal bleeding, haemophilia during monthly period, dysentery and traumatic bleeding]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=11 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:49:43 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=11 Root of diphylleia sinensis (江边一碗水)

南方山荷叶为多年生草本。茎直立，高约50厘米。叶通常2片生于茎顶，宽肾形，先端深2裂，边缘有几个大缺刻和不等长的疏锯齿。叶柄长，盾状着生。5—6月开花，花淡黄色​，数朵，生于茎顶。6—8月结果，果实多浆，球形。熟时蓝黑色。分布于尼叉河、红坪、酒壶坪、红河、马家屋场、长岩屋、鸭子石、大九湖、小神农架等地。

该药具有散夜活血、止血止痛的功效。民间常用于治疗跃打损伤、五劳七伤、风湿关节炎、腰腿疼痛、月经不调等。







Notes: pictures uploaded first and contents to be constructed soon....]]> Root of diphylleia sinensis (江边一碗水)

南方山荷叶为多年生草本。茎直立，高约50厘米。叶通常2片生于茎顶，宽肾形，先端深2裂，边缘有几个大缺刻和不等长的疏锯齿。叶柄长，盾状着生。5—6月开花，花淡黄色​，数朵，生于茎顶。6—8月结果，果实多浆，球形。熟时蓝黑色。分布于尼叉河、红坪、酒壶坪、红河、马家屋场、长岩屋、鸭子石、大九湖、小神农架等地。

该药具有散夜活血、止血止痛的功效。民间常用于治疗跃打损伤、五劳七伤、风湿关节炎、腰腿疼痛、月经不调等。







Notes: pictures uploaded first and contents to be constructed soon....]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=10 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:55:40 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=10
There left several caves in the southern side of Wudang where the doctor Lee Shi Zhen once stayed for sheltering.

From now on we will progressively introduce some common and localized medical herbs for people to understand:



]]>
There left several caves in the southern side of Wudang where the doctor Lee Shi Zhen once stayed for sheltering.

From now on we will progressively introduce some common and localized medical herbs for people to understand:



]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=9 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:23:55 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=9


Screenshot 2



Screenshot 3
]]>


Screenshot 2



Screenshot 3
]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:21:08 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8
Participants: Sil Lum Kune, Bedworth UK
Number of Participants: 33
Trip Date: 5th April - 24th April 2006
Written By: David
Source: http://www.scic-beijing.com/news%20lette...2018903=19


At Wudang Mountain, our first port of call was Zixiao Palace (Purple Sky Palace) temple built in 1413 at the foot of Zhanqi peak. As we arrived at the temple the weather had turned to a slight drizzle. As we got off the coach and walked to the temple, the Fang Chang and the martial arts instructor Zhong Xeuyong of Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy were waiting outside to greet us. We took several photos followed by a group photo outside the palace temple, from there they invited us into the audience room where we were able to ask questions and we were served tea. The back walls of this room where covered certificates and pennants from various clubs from around the world. Some of the other walls had pictures of heads of state, which had also been entertained in this room, The room was only used for VIPs. We were very honoured and privileged to be treated as important guests. Myself, and Zhong Xeuyong talked through an interpreter about various aspects of our Kung Fu and its development. We also discussed the historical links between Wudang and Shaolin.

We then exchanged pennants and had several photographs taken. After this Zhong Xeuyong answered several questions from our group who had been listening and watching these proceedings. We also discussed the history of Wudang Kung Fu, the temple and its origins. After all the questions had been asked we were invited to the main courtyard. The weather was the same, but yet it wasn't too cold. I was surprised how quite this beautiful monastery was compared to the hustle and bustle of Mount Emei. One side of the courtyard was lined with Zhong Xeuyong's Wudang Taoist Kung Fu students and our group lined up on the ad-joining terrace next to them with Zhong Xeuyong.

Our group were invited to go first. As usual the children (Callum Burkinshaw aged 6yrs, Rebecca Currie aged 8yrs, Cameron Burkinshaw aged 8yrs, Alexander Currie aged 10yrs) performed open-hand forms first, and then the adults followed. David Richardson performed A Shaolin Monk's Spade form and I followed with a Kwon Do form. While I was performing the routine I heard two ripping noises, which I thought was the Velcro fastenings on my trousers. Unfortunately I wasn抰 wearing loose enough trousers and the ripping sounds were my trousers splitting which created a few smiles from both sides as well as the small crowd of tourists that had gathered to watch.

Next the Wudang students performed a mixture of open-hand forms and weapons. I was impressed by all their performances, which demonstrated a lovely grace and yet deadly technique. A couple of the performances stood out. One was the amazing staff form one student did. The moves, and then the way he kept his balance during some of techniques were awe-inspiring. The Monk's Spade and Horse Whip routines were also captivating and very interesting. Zhong Xeuyong stole the show with his performance of an open-hand routine. His movements were graceful and fluid, with sudden bursts of power clearly proving he was the master!

During the whole performance of both groups, after each member by had finished they were greeted with rapturous applause from both sides and the onlookers that stopped to enjoy this intriguing spectacle. If I had to choose anything else other than Shaolin it would be Wudang, but then is that because of the similarity and the links to Shaolin?

We were then invited to look around the remainder of the temple. The way this temple was set out is comparable to the tardis. This temple is deceptively big, every time we climbed the steps up to the next level we found more. It had a similar layout to the Buddhist Shaolin temples, but this Taoist temple was on a much bigger and grander scale. In my opinion this temple is the most attractive temple we saw while in China. Again, unlike the Shaolin temples these temple buildings were very old and so had lots of historical character.

We spent several hours perusing the temple and marvelling at its sites. A particular hall that interested me was the Dragon and Tiger Hall. These two beasts were the brandings of Shaolin masters from certain temples and form part of our club logo.

The following day we took the cable car up Wudang Mountain. The weather had turned very cold. On all my previous visits to China the weather has been very warm, even hot, however, not this trip. As we reached the summit area by cable car the drizzle was starting to freeze. The trees on Tianzhu peak took on a strange beauty covered in leaves of ice. The views were breath taking and the old buildings were dark and intriguing with lots of historical character. Apart from the Golden Hall (gold-plated bronze hall), which was shining like a beacon in the now bleak weather conditions that had enveloped us. As we walked down a little from the Golden Hall we came across a side ally leading to various buildings. Four of us ventured down this ally looking into one of the halls. As we turned away we all noticed the paintings on the opposite wall. One painting in particular captivated us all. It was a painting of a black tiger. One of the sources some of us had read before we came to China related to the Shaolin connection at Wudang as the Black Tiger Temple.

We could have easily spent many days at Wudang, marvelling at its sites and beauty, but time was getting on and we had to move on. I can honestly say that we all remarked that Wudang was beyond a doubt the most beautiful and interesting place we visited in China.]]>
Participants: Sil Lum Kune, Bedworth UK
Number of Participants: 33
Trip Date: 5th April - 24th April 2006
Written By: David
Source: http://www.scic-beijing.com/news%20lette...2018903=19


At Wudang Mountain, our first port of call was Zixiao Palace (Purple Sky Palace) temple built in 1413 at the foot of Zhanqi peak. As we arrived at the temple the weather had turned to a slight drizzle. As we got off the coach and walked to the temple, the Fang Chang and the martial arts instructor Zhong Xeuyong of Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy were waiting outside to greet us. We took several photos followed by a group photo outside the palace temple, from there they invited us into the audience room where we were able to ask questions and we were served tea. The back walls of this room where covered certificates and pennants from various clubs from around the world. Some of the other walls had pictures of heads of state, which had also been entertained in this room, The room was only used for VIPs. We were very honoured and privileged to be treated as important guests. Myself, and Zhong Xeuyong talked through an interpreter about various aspects of our Kung Fu and its development. We also discussed the historical links between Wudang and Shaolin.

We then exchanged pennants and had several photographs taken. After this Zhong Xeuyong answered several questions from our group who had been listening and watching these proceedings. We also discussed the history of Wudang Kung Fu, the temple and its origins. After all the questions had been asked we were invited to the main courtyard. The weather was the same, but yet it wasn't too cold. I was surprised how quite this beautiful monastery was compared to the hustle and bustle of Mount Emei. One side of the courtyard was lined with Zhong Xeuyong's Wudang Taoist Kung Fu students and our group lined up on the ad-joining terrace next to them with Zhong Xeuyong.

Our group were invited to go first. As usual the children (Callum Burkinshaw aged 6yrs, Rebecca Currie aged 8yrs, Cameron Burkinshaw aged 8yrs, Alexander Currie aged 10yrs) performed open-hand forms first, and then the adults followed. David Richardson performed A Shaolin Monk's Spade form and I followed with a Kwon Do form. While I was performing the routine I heard two ripping noises, which I thought was the Velcro fastenings on my trousers. Unfortunately I wasn抰 wearing loose enough trousers and the ripping sounds were my trousers splitting which created a few smiles from both sides as well as the small crowd of tourists that had gathered to watch.

Next the Wudang students performed a mixture of open-hand forms and weapons. I was impressed by all their performances, which demonstrated a lovely grace and yet deadly technique. A couple of the performances stood out. One was the amazing staff form one student did. The moves, and then the way he kept his balance during some of techniques were awe-inspiring. The Monk's Spade and Horse Whip routines were also captivating and very interesting. Zhong Xeuyong stole the show with his performance of an open-hand routine. His movements were graceful and fluid, with sudden bursts of power clearly proving he was the master!

During the whole performance of both groups, after each member by had finished they were greeted with rapturous applause from both sides and the onlookers that stopped to enjoy this intriguing spectacle. If I had to choose anything else other than Shaolin it would be Wudang, but then is that because of the similarity and the links to Shaolin?

We were then invited to look around the remainder of the temple. The way this temple was set out is comparable to the tardis. This temple is deceptively big, every time we climbed the steps up to the next level we found more. It had a similar layout to the Buddhist Shaolin temples, but this Taoist temple was on a much bigger and grander scale. In my opinion this temple is the most attractive temple we saw while in China. Again, unlike the Shaolin temples these temple buildings were very old and so had lots of historical character.

We spent several hours perusing the temple and marvelling at its sites. A particular hall that interested me was the Dragon and Tiger Hall. These two beasts were the brandings of Shaolin masters from certain temples and form part of our club logo.

The following day we took the cable car up Wudang Mountain. The weather had turned very cold. On all my previous visits to China the weather has been very warm, even hot, however, not this trip. As we reached the summit area by cable car the drizzle was starting to freeze. The trees on Tianzhu peak took on a strange beauty covered in leaves of ice. The views were breath taking and the old buildings were dark and intriguing with lots of historical character. Apart from the Golden Hall (gold-plated bronze hall), which was shining like a beacon in the now bleak weather conditions that had enveloped us. As we walked down a little from the Golden Hall we came across a side ally leading to various buildings. Four of us ventured down this ally looking into one of the halls. As we turned away we all noticed the paintings on the opposite wall. One painting in particular captivated us all. It was a painting of a black tiger. One of the sources some of us had read before we came to China related to the Shaolin connection at Wudang as the Black Tiger Temple.

We could have easily spent many days at Wudang, marvelling at its sites and beauty, but time was getting on and we had to move on. I can honestly say that we all remarked that Wudang was beyond a doubt the most beautiful and interesting place we visited in China.]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=7 Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:46:49 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=7
Girls in ancient Chinese attire]]>
Girls in ancient Chinese attire]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6 Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:44:10 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6

The zig-zag road


Purple heaven palace


Purple heaven palace


Purple heaven palace]]>

The zig-zag road


Purple heaven palace


Purple heaven palace


Purple heaven palace]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=5 Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:24:07 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=5


Stories

One story says that Xuan Wu was originally a prince of Jing Le State in northern Hebei during the time of the Yellow Emperor. As he grew up, he felt the sorrow and pain of the life of ordinary people and wanted to retire to a remote mountain of Wudang for cultivation of the Tao.

In fact, Xuan Wu was an accomplished Taoist inner alchemist and supplied a wonderful example for all those who should make an unswerving efforts in their course to search for the true reality.

One day while he was assisting a woman in labor, while cleaning the woman’s blood stained clothes along a river, the words "Xuan Tian Shang Di" appeared before him. The woman in labor turned out to be a manifestation of the goddess Guan Yin. To redeem his sins, he dug out his own stomach and intestines and washed it in the river. The river turned into a dark, murky water. After a while, it turned into pure water.

Unfortunately, Xuan Wu did indeed lose his own stomach and intestines while he washing them in the river. The Jade Emperor was moved by his sincerity and determination to clear his sins; hence he became an Immortal known with the title of Xuan Tian Shang Ti.

After he became an immortal, his stomach and intestines after absorbing the essences of the earth, it was transformed into a demonic turtle and snake which harmed people and no one could subdue them. Eventually Xuan Wu returned back to earth to subdue them and later uses them as his means for transportation.

Depiction

Xuan Wu is portrayed as a warrior in imperial robes, his left hand is in the "three mountain hand seal", somewhat similar to Guan Yu's hand seal, while the right hand holds a sword, which is said to have belonged to Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals.

Another legend says that he borrowed the sword from Lü Dongbin to subdue a powerful demon, and after being successful, he refused to bring it back after witnessing the sword's power. The sword itself would magically return to its owner if Xuan Wu released it, so it is said that he always holds his sword tightly, and is unable to release it.

He is usually seated on a throne with the right foot stepping on the snake and left leg extended stepping on the turtle. His face is usually red with bulging eyes. His birthday is celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month.

Xuan Wu is sometimes portrayed with two generals standing besides him, General Wan Gong and General Wan Ma. Most temples that are dedicated Xuan Wu also have Generals Wan Gong and Wan Ma, especially in Malaysia. The two generals are deities that handles many local issues from children's birth, medication, family matters as well as feng shui consultation. The Malaccans particularly in Pokok Mangga and Batu Berendam County have deep faith in the generals due to their much good deeds and contribution to the local villagers.

In Journey to the West

In the classic novel Journey to the West, Xuánwǔ was a king of the north who had two generals serving under him, a "Tortoise General" and a "Snake General". This king had a temple at Wudang Mountains, thus there is a Tortoise Mountain and a Snake Mountain on the opposite sides of a river in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei.]]>


Stories

One story says that Xuan Wu was originally a prince of Jing Le State in northern Hebei during the time of the Yellow Emperor. As he grew up, he felt the sorrow and pain of the life of ordinary people and wanted to retire to a remote mountain of Wudang for cultivation of the Tao.

In fact, Xuan Wu was an accomplished Taoist inner alchemist and supplied a wonderful example for all those who should make an unswerving efforts in their course to search for the true reality.

One day while he was assisting a woman in labor, while cleaning the woman’s blood stained clothes along a river, the words "Xuan Tian Shang Di" appeared before him. The woman in labor turned out to be a manifestation of the goddess Guan Yin. To redeem his sins, he dug out his own stomach and intestines and washed it in the river. The river turned into a dark, murky water. After a while, it turned into pure water.

Unfortunately, Xuan Wu did indeed lose his own stomach and intestines while he washing them in the river. The Jade Emperor was moved by his sincerity and determination to clear his sins; hence he became an Immortal known with the title of Xuan Tian Shang Ti.

After he became an immortal, his stomach and intestines after absorbing the essences of the earth, it was transformed into a demonic turtle and snake which harmed people and no one could subdue them. Eventually Xuan Wu returned back to earth to subdue them and later uses them as his means for transportation.

Depiction

Xuan Wu is portrayed as a warrior in imperial robes, his left hand is in the "three mountain hand seal", somewhat similar to Guan Yu's hand seal, while the right hand holds a sword, which is said to have belonged to Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals.

Another legend says that he borrowed the sword from Lü Dongbin to subdue a powerful demon, and after being successful, he refused to bring it back after witnessing the sword's power. The sword itself would magically return to its owner if Xuan Wu released it, so it is said that he always holds his sword tightly, and is unable to release it.

He is usually seated on a throne with the right foot stepping on the snake and left leg extended stepping on the turtle. His face is usually red with bulging eyes. His birthday is celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month.

Xuan Wu is sometimes portrayed with two generals standing besides him, General Wan Gong and General Wan Ma. Most temples that are dedicated Xuan Wu also have Generals Wan Gong and Wan Ma, especially in Malaysia. The two generals are deities that handles many local issues from children's birth, medication, family matters as well as feng shui consultation. The Malaccans particularly in Pokok Mangga and Batu Berendam County have deep faith in the generals due to their much good deeds and contribution to the local villagers.

In Journey to the West

In the classic novel Journey to the West, Xuánwǔ was a king of the north who had two generals serving under him, a "Tortoise General" and a "Snake General". This king had a temple at Wudang Mountains, thus there is a Tortoise Mountain and a Snake Mountain on the opposite sides of a river in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei.]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4 Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:57:11 -0600 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4
Zhang was indifferent to fame and wealth. After declining official position and dispatching his property to his clan, he traveled around China to live the life of an ascetic. Zhang spent several years at Hua Mountain before settling in Wudang Mountain.



Legacy

A legendary culture hero, Zhang Sanfeng is credited by modern practitioners as having originated the concepts of neijia (內家); soft, internal martial arts, specifically T'ai Chi Ch'uan, as a result of a Neo-Confucian syncretism of Chán Buddhist Shaolin martial arts with his mastery of Taoist Tao Yin (neigong) principles. It is said that on one occasion Zhang Sanfeng observed a bird attacking a snake on Wudang Mountain and was greatly inspired by the snake’s defensive tactics. It remained still and alert in face of the bird’s onslaughts until making a lunge and fatally biting its attacker. This battle inspired him to create a 72-movement T'ai Chi Ch'uan“set.”He is also associated in legend with the Taoist monasteries at Wudang Mountains.

Stories from the 17th century onward give him credit for the internal martial arts. 19th century and later stories give him credit for T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

Zhang Sanfeng is also said to have been versed in Shaolin Gung Fu, an expert in the White Crane and Snake styles of Chinese martial arts, as well as in the use of the Chinese straight sword or jian. According to relatively late (19th century) documents preserved within the Yang and Wu family's archives, the name of Zhang Sanfeng's master was Xu Xuanping (許宣平), said to be a Tang dynasty hermit poet and Taoist Tao Yin expert.

The Tai Chi Chuan families who ascribe the foundation of their art to Zhang traditionally celebrate his birthdate as the 9th day of the 3rd Chinese lunar month.

Traditional folktales

Much of the written material about him is mythical, contradictory, or otherwise suspect. For instance, he is reported by different people to have been born either in 960, 1247, or in 1279. He has at times been described as being seven-feet tall, with the bones of a crane and the posture of a pine tree, having whiskers shaped like a spear, and being able to cover 1000 li in a day (roughly 580 km or 350 miles). He is reputed to have worn a straw hat, and is usually depicted with one slung on his back, but two villages are reported in the 19th century Wu-yang Gazeteer (Wu-yang hsien-chih) to have believed that his hat was actually a cymbal, which only residents of the villages (famous for manufacturing cymbals) had permission to sound upon meeting him.

Some sources record two Chinese emperors sending missions to Zhang Sanfeng to ask for his advice, although neither mission is reported to have found him.

Owing to his legendary status, his name frequently appears in Chinese novels and Wuxia films of swordsmen as a spiritual teacher and master of martial arts. One of the films is The Tai-Chi Master starring Jet Li and portrayed by him.

Today, Chinese readers and general public are most acquainted with Jin Yong's version of Zhang Sanfeng, thanks to the popularity of his Wuxia novels. In his book The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber, Zhang Sanfeng was a former Shaolin disciple in the late Song Dynasty, and born on April 9, 1247 at midnight (Day 9 of month 3 in Chinese calendar). He later left Shaolin Temple and established the Taoist monasteries in Wudang Mountains. In the book he had seven disciples, and was alive at least until the late Yuan Dynasty. According to many regional gazettes, Zhang Sanfeng was seen at the end year of tianshun reign (1457-1464), having lived for more than 200 years.]]>
Zhang was indifferent to fame and wealth. After declining official position and dispatching his property to his clan, he traveled around China to live the life of an ascetic. Zhang spent several years at Hua Mountain before settling in Wudang Mountain.



Legacy

A legendary culture hero, Zhang Sanfeng is credited by modern practitioners as having originated the concepts of neijia (內家); soft, internal martial arts, specifically T'ai Chi Ch'uan, as a result of a Neo-Confucian syncretism of Chán Buddhist Shaolin martial arts with his mastery of Taoist Tao Yin (neigong) principles. It is said that on one occasion Zhang Sanfeng observed a bird attacking a snake on Wudang Mountain and was greatly inspired by the snake’s defensive tactics. It remained still and alert in face of the bird’s onslaughts until making a lunge and fatally biting its attacker. This battle inspired him to create a 72-movement T'ai Chi Ch'uan“set.”He is also associated in legend with the Taoist monasteries at Wudang Mountains.

Stories from the 17th century onward give him credit for the internal martial arts. 19th century and later stories give him credit for T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

Zhang Sanfeng is also said to have been versed in Shaolin Gung Fu, an expert in the White Crane and Snake styles of Chinese martial arts, as well as in the use of the Chinese straight sword or jian. According to relatively late (19th century) documents preserved within the Yang and Wu family's archives, the name of Zhang Sanfeng's master was Xu Xuanping (許宣平), said to be a Tang dynasty hermit poet and Taoist Tao Yin expert.

The Tai Chi Chuan families who ascribe the foundation of their art to Zhang traditionally celebrate his birthdate as the 9th day of the 3rd Chinese lunar month.

Traditional folktales

Much of the written material about him is mythical, contradictory, or otherwise suspect. For instance, he is reported by different people to have been born either in 960, 1247, or in 1279. He has at times been described as being seven-feet tall, with the bones of a crane and the posture of a pine tree, having whiskers shaped like a spear, and being able to cover 1000 li in a day (roughly 580 km or 350 miles). He is reputed to have worn a straw hat, and is usually depicted with one slung on his back, but two villages are reported in the 19th century Wu-yang Gazeteer (Wu-yang hsien-chih) to have believed that his hat was actually a cymbal, which only residents of the villages (famous for manufacturing cymbals) had permission to sound upon meeting him.

Some sources record two Chinese emperors sending missions to Zhang Sanfeng to ask for his advice, although neither mission is reported to have found him.

Owing to his legendary status, his name frequently appears in Chinese novels and Wuxia films of swordsmen as a spiritual teacher and master of martial arts. One of the films is The Tai-Chi Master starring Jet Li and portrayed by him.

Today, Chinese readers and general public are most acquainted with Jin Yong's version of Zhang Sanfeng, thanks to the popularity of his Wuxia novels. In his book The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber, Zhang Sanfeng was a former Shaolin disciple in the late Song Dynasty, and born on April 9, 1247 at midnight (Day 9 of month 3 in Chinese calendar). He later left Shaolin Temple and established the Taoist monasteries in Wudang Mountains. In the book he had seven disciples, and was alive at least until the late Yuan Dynasty. According to many regional gazettes, Zhang Sanfeng was seen at the end year of tianshun reign (1457-1464), having lived for more than 200 years.]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:31:14 -0500 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3 I Have bought "The 18 Forms" and the "Wudang Cream Taijquan" DVD's by Master You Xuande. Is the 18 Forms on the DVD the same as in the Academy's curriculum?
I am planning to spend 1-2 months at the Academy next year and would like to start learning the basics if they are the same form.
Any information would be appreciated

Best Wishes

P.S. What is the Wudang Cream Taijquan?]]> I Have bought "The 18 Forms" and the "Wudang Cream Taijquan" DVD's by Master You Xuande. Is the 18 Forms on the DVD the same as in the Academy's curriculum?
I am planning to spend 1-2 months at the Academy next year and would like to start learning the basics if they are the same form.
Any information would be appreciated

Best Wishes

P.S. What is the Wudang Cream Taijquan?]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:14:20 -0500 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=2
As initiated the small wheel after years of internal martial arts, I am still at an early stage. The yang vapor seems to emit itself randomly. The tickle of its initiation is quite funny in its choice of time. I have to stop my involvement in things randomly.
Conducting up the mountain, while stopping at the yellow court, and middle palace. It works its way to the crystal palace. While there, the combining of front and rear temples creates the elixir of heaven.

Do I concentrate more on the front palace for youth, or the rear for peace?
The upper middle temple is a good spot to combine the teachings of both these palaces, do I keep what I have learned and absorb this teaching into the area of the red palace? If so, this place exists just above the middle court but not so high as to bother the sleeping king?

The elixir of heaven conducts physically down the front of the mountain, but with spirit must resolve to abide in what home? The lower elixir field?

As for questions involving the cooking of jing for martial techniques:
The vibrations are continually stored in the bones? In conducting the vibrations for martial use, do they take the path of the tendon meridians through structure, or do they exist outside of the boundaries of the physical form? Besides tension near the jade pass, what else should I be cautious of in terms of creating stagnation in the form?

I ask in metaphor, of course.

Thank you for your time.
A Friend]]>
As initiated the small wheel after years of internal martial arts, I am still at an early stage. The yang vapor seems to emit itself randomly. The tickle of its initiation is quite funny in its choice of time. I have to stop my involvement in things randomly.
Conducting up the mountain, while stopping at the yellow court, and middle palace. It works its way to the crystal palace. While there, the combining of front and rear temples creates the elixir of heaven.

Do I concentrate more on the front palace for youth, or the rear for peace?
The upper middle temple is a good spot to combine the teachings of both these palaces, do I keep what I have learned and absorb this teaching into the area of the red palace? If so, this place exists just above the middle court but not so high as to bother the sleeping king?

The elixir of heaven conducts physically down the front of the mountain, but with spirit must resolve to abide in what home? The lower elixir field?

As for questions involving the cooking of jing for martial techniques:
The vibrations are continually stored in the bones? In conducting the vibrations for martial use, do they take the path of the tendon meridians through structure, or do they exist outside of the boundaries of the physical form? Besides tension near the jade pass, what else should I be cautious of in terms of creating stagnation in the form?

I ask in metaphor, of course.

Thank you for your time.
A Friend]]> http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:09:24 -0500 http://www.wudang-kungfu.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1 ]]> ]]>