Don't be surprised that a 2,500-year-old Chinese philosophy emphasizing the harmony between humanity and nature continues to influence people today.
Join Xinhua as we explore Chinese wisdom at the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Wudang Mountains in central China.
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
Join Xinhua as we explore Chinese wisdom at the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Wudang Mountains in central China.
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:14 [Music]
00:18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites are regarded as places of outstanding universal value to humanity.
00:24 Today, 57 of these special places can be found in China.
00:29 What do these World Heritage Sites tell us about China and what do they mean to the world?
00:35 [Music]
00:39 Welcome to Wudang Mountains in Hubei, Central China.
00:43 As you will see, the architecture was built in harmony with the mountain terrain.
00:48 This place is called Taizabou.
00:50 Built on steep slopes and high cliffs, it seems impossible, yet they did it.
00:56 [Music]
01:00 The ancient building complex in the Wudang Mountains was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List in 1994.
01:09 It encompasses structures dating as far back as the 7th century,
01:14 and the zenith of expansions and renovations unfolded during the Ming Dynasty.
01:20 Over the course of nearly 1,000 years, this ensemble of buildings, along with the exquisite carvings, sculptures, and ornaments,
01:30 represented the highest standards of Chinese art and architecture.
01:35 [Music]
01:48 This is the Purple Heaven Palace, and it's one of the best-preserved palaces in Wudang Mountain.
01:55 You know the size? Well, it's about 10 football fields.
02:00 And you can see ancient Chinese artistic beauty and the strength of architecture.
02:06 You can see photos of this place, but it's nothing like being here and feeling the history of China.
02:13 [Music]
02:15 Constructing buildings in rugged mountain terrain requires a careful blend of human ambition and nature's constraints.
02:23 But beyond such practicalities, the design and construction of this ancient complex were deeply influenced by Taoist philosophies,
02:33 such as harmony between heaven and humanity, and following the natural way.
02:41 This wisdom has its roots in the Tao Te Ching, a classical work by the ancient philosopher Lao Tzu around 2,500 years ago.
02:52 Historical records reveal that 600 years ago, during the construction of the wall around the highest point of Wudang Mountains,
03:01 known as the Golden Summit, the emperor of that era issued explicit orders to respect the natural terrain rather than extensively altering it.
03:13 Many building materials were sourced from outside Wudang to prevent harm to the mountain's natural environment.
03:21 Six centuries later, as commended by a UNESCO expert, Wudang Mountains combine ancient wisdom, historic architecture, and natural beauty.
03:34 Well, I've almost reached the Golden Summit. It has not been an easy climb, but well worth it.
03:40 I'm surrounded by mountains with elegant peaks and ancient buildings.
03:44 I can feel the peace and tranquility. It touches my soul deeply.
03:51 Wudang Mountains offer more than astonishing views, but also a rich cultural heritage.
04:01 This area is renowned not only as a center for Taoism, but also as the birthplace of Taiji, a school of Chinese martial arts.
04:10 I recently learned about an American named Jake, who has made Wudang his home for more than a decade,
04:16 dedicating his life to the practice of Taiji.
04:19 Today, he shares his love for the treasures of traditional Chinese culture with people from around the world.
04:28 [Music]
04:41 So today we're at Yushugong. This is the temple that I trained at when I first came to Wudang.
04:46 So I first arrived here. This is where we would spend all of our time training martial arts, doing our basic training.
04:50 Actually, my first day was right over here in this spot.
04:53 So how did you become involved with Taiji?
04:56 I came here originally. I came to China just to study Taiji, to study martial arts.
05:00 So I came here after high school, after college, at 20 years old.
05:04 My goal was to be in charge of my own health, to find a way to be healthy.
05:09 Many people are confused. What is the difference between Taiji and Kung Fu?
05:13 So Kung Fu is a pretty broad term. It comes from the term "gong fu," which just means "skill over time."
05:19 But Kung Fu just means martial arts in general.
05:22 Taiji is a specific type of martial arts. It's typically done slow, but there is physical application.
05:28 There are techniques, but there's also a big, grounded part of philosophy and of health cultivation.
05:35 Mentioning philosophy, is there a connection between Chinese wisdom and Taiji?
05:40 Of course. So here we practice Taoism. That's the philosophy and the religion here.
05:45 And you can't really separate that from what we do when we practice Taiji.
05:49 A lot of the elements are very similar. So when we talk about yin-yang, or Taiji theory, it's the balance of polar opposites.
05:57 And so that's a really integral part to Chinese culture, and specifically to Taoist philosophy.
06:02 So they're very connected to us. I think Taiji is the great equalizer.
06:06 Whatever you do in life, Taiji can give you benefits because it's about correcting posture.
06:10 It's about being soft. It's about being fluid.
06:12 While I am hardly going to become a Taiji master in such a short time, I'm really drawn to a way of life that seeks to blend knowledge and action, and harmonize humanity with nature.
06:24 Well, Jake, this is a perfect place to have some tea. And I feel that we're really close to nature. How do you feel?
06:35 Yeah, I feel great. This is definitely connected to our practice. We're always this close to nature. It's how we get our inspiration.
06:41 As Taiji practitioners, we're always trying to emulate water. We're trying to emulate the mountain.
06:45 And I think being close to nature allows you to have a better idea about that.
06:49 We talk about water being soft. When we practice Taiji, we also talk about soft movement, you know, deflecting force.
06:56 There's not a lot in our practice where we try to go against the current.
07:01 We try to find a natural way. So it's about finding effortless action. And with that, we can take water as the most natural example.
07:11 Because water, what it tries to do is it tries to find the lowest place of resistance.
07:17 And so in that way, we can model ourselves to be more humble. We can model ourselves to be more soft, to be more forgiving.
07:28 In Wudang Mountains, you can't ignore the element of water. The mountains and water, like yin and yang, coexist.
07:36 That's why on my way out of Wudang Mountains, I stopped at the Danjiangkou Reservoir right at the foot of the mountain.
07:44 This is the Danjiangkou Reservoir, located on the Hanjiang River.
07:48 It serves as the source of the central route of China's South to North Water Diversion Project.
07:54 It's so vast, so beautiful, so breathtaking.
07:59 The waters of Danjiangkou originate from the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River and its tributary, the Danjiang.
08:08 Interestingly, water from Wudangshan also contributes to this flow.
08:12 Over time, continuous endeavors to safeguard the lush green mountains and clear waters
08:18 have ensured that the high-quality water from the Danjiangkou Reservoir benefits tens of millions of people in northern China.
08:26 I'm amazed how a philosophy from 2,500 years ago about the harmony between humanity and nature continues to influence people today.
08:36 It's woven into Chinese people's lives.
08:39 By exploring more UNESCO sites, I'm sure we're going to discover more fascinating things about China and its cultural heritage.
08:49 [MUSIC]