Kung fu master's legacy revived

English>>Life & Culture

Editor's Pick

By Yang Jian (Shanghai Daily) 10:18, October 18, 2013

Email|Print|Comments

twitter

facebook

Sina Microblog

Hongkou District in Shanghai is to rebuild the former Chin Woo Athletic Association founded by Chinese martial arts master Huo Yuanjia in the 1900s to promote Chinese martial arts, officials announced yesterday.

The new Chin Woo Gymnasium will be opened in the current Hongkou Gymnasium on Monday to invite famous kung fu masters in China as trainers with various sports facilities to open to the public.

"We aim to promote the Chin Woo Athletic spirit, that includes patriotism, fair and readiness to help others, especially among the young generation," said Hua Dongping, executive deputy director with the Chin Woo Athletic Federation.

Founder Huo, who died within months of the establishment of the association, was widely admired as a Chinese national hero for defeating foreign fighters in highly publicized kung fu matches.

He became popular again in China and abroad after Jet Li played Huo in the 2006 film "Fearless."

As one of the first public martial arts institutes in China, Chin Woo was intended to create a structured environment for teaching and learning martial arts.

The former site of the association on Sichuan Road will be preserved and reopened as the Chin Woo Historic Museum.

"A Chin Woo Cultural Street will be built along Dongbaoxing Road to include all these historic," Hua added.

The current Quyang Park on Zhongshan Road N1 will be turned into Chin Woo Park to include many memorial elements related to Huo and the Chin Woo history, said Xue Hairong, vice president of the federation.

（Editor：DuMingming、Gao Yinan）