Presentation Information
[12人-口-08]Martial Arts as a Culture of Spiritual CultivationThe Intersection of Daoism and Mount Wudang Practice in Contemporary China
*Qing Zhang1, Yi Xuan Zhang1 (1. Nippon Sport Science University)
Daoist cultivation has traditionally emphasized internal practices such as seated meditation (zuochan), breath regulation (tu-na), and guiding exercises (daoyin). Alongside these, martial arts have also served as a key method of spiritual cultivation, blending physical discipline with internal transformation. At Mount Wudang, Daoist philosophy and martial arts have become closely integrated, forming a unique system of embodied cultivation. Yet, there remains a lack of comprehensive academic inquiry into the role of martial arts within religious practice—especially in terms of their ideological meaning and embodied techniques.
Today, Mount Wudang is not only a nationally recognized cultural heritage site and tourist destination, but also a center where martial arts are institutionalized within modern sports culture. At the same time, it continues to serve as a sacred site of Daoist practice. This convergence of religion, tourism, and sport makes Mount Wudang a dynamic space for studying how martial arts are inherited and reinterpreted in the modern era.
This study adopts a sports anthropological approach, centering on fieldwork as its main methodology. Research will take place at the Mount Wudang Daoist Association, martial arts academies, and key temples such as Taihe Palace and Zixiao Palace. Interviews with Daoist practitioners and observations of daily martial arts training will offer insight into how martial practice functions as spiritual cultivation. Additionally, the researcher will participate directly in training to reflect on the physical and spiritual transformations involved, aiming to understand Mount Wudang martial arts as a living, multifaceted medium of Daoist cultivation today.
Today, Mount Wudang is not only a nationally recognized cultural heritage site and tourist destination, but also a center where martial arts are institutionalized within modern sports culture. At the same time, it continues to serve as a sacred site of Daoist practice. This convergence of religion, tourism, and sport makes Mount Wudang a dynamic space for studying how martial arts are inherited and reinterpreted in the modern era.
This study adopts a sports anthropological approach, centering on fieldwork as its main methodology. Research will take place at the Mount Wudang Daoist Association, martial arts academies, and key temples such as Taihe Palace and Zixiao Palace. Interviews with Daoist practitioners and observations of daily martial arts training will offer insight into how martial practice functions as spiritual cultivation. Additionally, the researcher will participate directly in training to reflect on the physical and spiritual transformations involved, aiming to understand Mount Wudang martial arts as a living, multifaceted medium of Daoist cultivation today.
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