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    Small Village Turns Tai Chi Heritage Into Big Business

    Tourists fill schools and hotels in the birthplace of Chen-style tai chi.

    For generations, a village in central China has preserved the centuries-old tradition of tai chi. Today, it’s not only playing a part in exporting the ancient martial art form to far-flung countries, but also cashing in on its own rich heritage.

    Chenjiagou, in Henan province, is something of a pilgrimage destination for many tai chi practitioners from all over the world. Local tradition has it that an old master named Chen Bo invented his own style of tai chi — he wanted to protect the village, and his style is known for its quickness and power. Now, the once-sleepy village is home to several tai chi centers and other small enterprises that keep the spirit of tai chi alive and the money pouring in.

    Tai chi originated in the 17th century, and over time and across disciplines, its core principle remains the same: controlling the mind and body to cultivate qi, or the vital force present in all living things. The art is now practiced by millions of people worldwide. In a widely publicized bout, a self-proclaimed tai chi master was knocked down in about 10 seconds by a mixed martial artist, leading many to question the continued relevance of the traditional martial art form. But in Chengjiagou, tai chi is at the center of everything.

    Yan Ziteng is the head teacher at Chenjiagou Tai Chi School. He passes on the art to young acolytes while his wife runs a shop that tailors traditional martial arts clothes. Yan said his school has 200 branches in China, and that there is a big demand for teachers and coaches.

    “You can make this your career now,” he told journalists from Sixth Tone’s sister publication, The Paper, when they visited the village. “It’s a job. You can make up to 200,000 yuan [$29,000] per year.”

    Yang Zhaohui, an official from the Wen County tourism bureau, concurred, saying that tai chi has proved beneficial for the entire village. “The tai chi instruction industry has made the whole village rich,” he said, adding that two tai chi-related projects in the village had received a total of more than 5 billion yuan from investors.

    “If Chenjiagou did not have tai chi,” Yan the teacher mused, “it would just be an ordinary little village.”

    Contributions: Liu Jingwen; editor: Kevin Schoenmakers.

    (Header image: A group of women and their instructor practice tai chi at Shiyan Lake in Changsha, Hunan province, April 27, 2016. Xu Xing/VCG)