98-year-old kung fu grandma becomes internet sensation

Spirited 98-year-old kung fu granny Zhang Hexian recently became a social media sensation after video clips of her showing off her amazing kung fu moves at a martial arts competition, which was held to promote public fitness, in a village in Ninghai county, east China’s Zhejiang province.

(Photo/CCTV News)

At the event, she also taught some foreign kung fu lovers how to punch, one of the many martial arts moves she’s mastered.

“Kung fu spirit never gets old,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian tweeted on June 18, extending his praises to her.

“You are so great!” commented one netizen on Chinese Twitter-like social media platform Weibo.

(Photo/CCTV News)

“She is so strong for her age,” added another.

According to Zhang, she started to learn martial arts at the age of five. “I would box every day, learning movements such as chopping, pushing palm and thrusting palm,” she said.

Kung fu has also brought her good health. “Even though I am old now, my strength hasn’t gone away,” Zhang added.

As a martial artist, the grandmother has long been well-known in her hometown, where the tradition of practicing kung fu has endured for more than 500 years.

Zhang’s family members have also learned kung fu. “We practice kung fu for health reasons. Attacking others is absolutely unacceptable,” Zhang said.