Martial artist creates summer haven for children

In Tonggong town, Quzhou city, Zhejiang province, 70-year-old Hong Wenda has spent a decade building an extraordinary sanctuary for local youths. 

As the official inheritor of the provincial-level intangible cultural heritage martial art Hong's Zhaigongquan, Hong has hosted a free summer martial arts camp in the village for 10 years. During the summer holidays, the camp becomes a bustling training ground where younger children practice horse stances and foundational forms, while more experienced students master advanced routines and short-staff techniques.

Hong implements a balanced "martial arts plus homework" routine, closely supervising the children's academic studies alongside their physical training. Because the village is home to many children whose parents are away for work in cities, this free initiative serves a dual purpose: It passes down an endangered local martial art while resolving the community's critical seasonal need to care for unsupervised youth.

To ensure the art survives on a broader scale, Hong has introduced these martial arts classes to more than 20 local schools. He even compiled simplified textbooks and standardized syllabi, giving a structured, professional framework to a martial art that was previously passed down only through oral tradition and informal demonstration.

The dedication yielded recognition this August at the 18th Hong Kong International Wushu Championship. Representing the primary training base for Hong's Zhaigongquan, 18 young martial artists from the Tonggong Township Central Primary School swept several major honors, including the Global Martial Arts Development Contribution Award and the Best Sports Team Award. 

Through one dedicated master, an ancestral hall, a group of persistent children, and a centuries-old craft, Hong has spent 10 years not only safeguarding a precious cultural legacy but also brightening the childhoods of a rural community.