Wudang Mountains
The Wudang Mountains (Chinese武当山/武当山, Pinyin Wǔdāngshān, W.-G. Wu Tang ), also known as Taihe Mountain or the Mysteries (Ch玄 岳Xuanyue ) are a mountain region in the northwest of Hubei Province, near the city of Shiyan. The area covers about 400 square kilometers and consists of 72 peaks, the highest with 1612 m is the Tianzhu (Chinese天柱, sky pillar '). Furthermore captivates the landscape with bizarre rocks 36 and 24 valleys.
With its numerous monuments, temples, palaces, monasteries, bridges, gates, caves and hermitages Wudangshan is a famous holy place of the Daoist religion and attracts pilgrims from all over the world.
Wudang Taoism
Wudangshan has a long tradition reaching back Daoist. It is recorded that the first scholars hither retired early as the Jin Dynasty ( 265-420 ) as a hermit. The Daoist priest Chen Tuan (Chen Xiyi ) from the period of the Five Dynasties ( 907-960 ) and the early Song Dynasty, the legend lived for more than 20 years at the Jiushi Rock, where he abstained from food intake and refined Qi (Bi Gu Shi Qi ).
During the reign of the Emperor Zhengzong (998-1022) which temple on Wudangshan were managed by the School of Orthodox unity and the other active there sects went inside her. Approx. 200 years later, the school of perfect reality took over dominance. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) prevailed gradually the Dragon Gate school.
A disciple of Chen Tuan, Huo Long, called Zhenren (Eng. true man ) said to have been a teacher of the legendary Zhang Sanfeng heroic figure, who lived at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty on Wudangshan. Zhang is considered the founder of Wudang Taoism. This is based on the idea of the school of perfect reality, however, is in the center of the worship of the so-called True Warrior Zhen Wu. Zhang Sanfeng and therefore well Wudangshan be cited as the origin of the internal martial arts. The Wudang Taoists maintain even today a variety of traditional fighting techniques and methods of self- cultivation.
Temples and Monasteries
During the Tang Dynasty of China, the construction of numerous Daoist temples and monasteries, which were further expanded in the course of the following Song and Yuan dynasties began.
The Yongle Emperor (1360-1424), born Zhu Di, was under the direction of the Duke of Longpin, Zhang Xin, make a large-scale cultivation of the Wudangshan. Using of 200,000 soldiers and craftsmen over 100 palaces, temples, monasteries, guest houses and additionally bridges, pavilions and the 70-km long path from the foot of the mountains came to the top of Tianzhu. The local system is like a forbidden city with an encircling fortress wall.
At that time, to admire throughout China on the Wudangshan the most magnificent temples. He was called " The Holy Mountain under Heaven". After more than 500 years, many of the buildings are dilapidated and destroyed. Only 6 Palaces ( Zixiao gong, Taizipo, jindian, Nanyan, Yuzhen and Yuxu ), the two temples Fuzhen and Yuanhe, and the Mozhen Fountain and the Xuanyue gate have been preserved from this time now and have been carefully restored.
The Zixiao gong ( Purple Cloud Palace ) is the largest of the resulting systems. The temple was built in 1413. In four levels he gets up on the mountainside. In Longhu temple are sculptures of two divine generals Black Dragon and White Tiger. In the next higher Shifang temple the figure of the heavenly officials rises. Zixiaodian, the main hall of the Zixiaogong surrounds the copper and gold combined statue of the perfect warrior, who is shown as a boy, middle age and old man. On the top level is the Fumu Temple, where the parents of the perfect warrior to be worshiped.
Center and one of the main tourist attractions is the Golden Hall (Chinese金殿, Pinyin jindian ) at the highest point of Tianzhu. This temple with its surrounding figures, incense burners and sacrificial altars with a total weight of 90 tons were produced in Beijing and then transported to the mountain. The existing copper and completely gilded temple measures 5.8 meters in width and 4.2 meters in depth with a height of 5.5 meters. In its interior, there is the 1.8 -meter-high and 10 -ton statue of the Great Perfect Warrior King Zhen Wu; at his feet is the symbol of Wudangshan that enwound by a snake turtle.
The Wudang Shan and the martial arts
In Chinese tradition, and according to legend, the Taoist monasteries of Wudanggebirges the origin of the internal martial arts (Chinese内 家 拳, Pinyin Neijiaquan ), such as Taijiquan, of Baguazhang and Xingyiquan that the external martial arts (Chinese外家 拳, Pinyin Wàijiāquán ) of Shaolin Kung Fu and other styles are opposite. Whether the Internal Martial Arts historically actually arise from the Wudanggebirge, however, is controversial.
According to legend, the Taoist monk Zhang Sanfeng is said to have observed in the Wudangbergen the struggle of a snake and a crane, the snake and a crane dodged again and again until it was forced to retire exhausted. From this it is to the principles of " soft" struggling with inner strength have developed.
The Wudang wushu from Shiyan, Hebei Province was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the People's Republic of China (No. 290).
These days there are in the city and around Wudang Daoist numerous schools and master of the internal martial arts. Among the most famous masters counts You Xuande, who remained supposedly undefeated in over a hundred battles. He has produced a whole range of master students and strives especially to the diffusion of Wudang martial arts in China, Taiwan and other Asian and European countries.
In Germany the Wudang style is first made famous by Tian Liyang, the first master class by You Xuande, the Master of Wudangshan explains the principles of Taoist internal martial art and life in the TV movie. There are now in Germany, Austria and Switzerland several Wudang master and various schools teaching the Wudang style in various forms.
The Wudangstil is discussed in numerous Eastern. Particularly well known is the Oscar-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Tiger, Hidden Dragon ) in 2000, in which the hero Li Mu Bai embodies a martial arts master from the Wudangbergen.