Chenjiagou, Wenxian County, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province
is the birthplace of Tai Chi.
Here,
people of all ages practice Tai Chi.
Generations of masters have emerged.
With a broom in hand,
she is a sanitation worker.
Wearing a white coat,
he is a village doctor.
Tying on an apron,
she is a guesthouse owner.
Picking up a cutting machine,
he is a renovation worker.
In the small village of Chenjiagou, with a population of just over 3,000,
there are 3 Tai Chi schools,
over 40 family-run Tai Chi studios,
and more than 800 Tai Chi practitioners.
The person you pass by in the village
might just be a seasoned Tai Chi expert who has practiced since childhood.
Let us walk into Chenjiagou
and explore these hidden “martial arts masters”.
62-year-old Huang Chunying is a sanitation worker in Chenjiagou, who started practicing Tai Chi at the age of 12. In addition to Tai Chi, she also practices Tai Chi Double Sabers and Tai Chi Spring and Autumn Broadsword.
Huang Chunying practicing Tai Chi Spring and Autumn Broadsword in the village square (taken on December 14).
Composite photo: Left image shows Huang Chunying practicing Tai Chi Double Sabers; upper right shows her practicing Tai Chi; lower right shows her practicing Tai Chi Spring and Autumn Broadsword (taken on December 14).
Huang Chunying practicing Tai Chi in the village square (taken on December 14).
45-year-old Chen Shaojie is the village doctor at the Chenjiagou health clinic, who has practiced Tai Chi for 35 years and teaches over 100 friends to practice Tai Chi for free in his spare time.
Chen Shaojie practicing Tai Chi in front of the health clinic (taken on December 14).
Chen Shaojie measuring blood pressure for villagers at the health clinic (taken on December 14).
Chen Shaojie practicing Tai Chi in front of the health clinic (composite photo, taken on December 14).
52-year-old Wu Pingli is the owner of a guesthouse in Chenjiagou. Over the years, she has practiced Tai Chi alongside her husband, who is a Tai Chi master.
Wu Pingli preparing dinner for guests in the guesthouse kitchen (taken on December 13).
Wu Pingli practicing Tai Chi in front of the guesthouse (composite photo, taken on December 14).
Wu Pingli practicing Tai Chi in front of the guesthouse (taken on December 14).
42-year-old Wu Boli is a renovation worker who has practiced Tai Chi for 28 years and has been in the renovation industry for 20 years, winning awards in several Tai Chi competitions.
Wu Boli practicing Tai Chi in Chenjiagou (composite photo, taken on December 14).
Wu Boli practicing Tai Chi in Chenjiagou (taken on December 14).
Renovation worker Wu Boli cutting stainless steel at the construction site (taken on December 14).
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Supervised by: Zhou Shihua, Cheng Wenchao
Authors: Li An, Li Jianan, Lu Ye
Editor: Sui Yuanyuan
Proofread by: Wang Haixia
Let’s practice Tai Chi together!