Introduction of plum blossom boxing

Meihua Boxing is one of the ancient and excellent traditional martial arts boxing in China. The martial arts of plum blossom boxing originated in the Western Zhou Dynasty. According to Liezi (page 184- 185) and Historical Records Zhao (page 1779), in the Western Zhou Dynasty, General Zhao Fu learned martial arts and piling methods from the masters at that time to help pacify the world. He was called "invincible" at that time. Since then, the royal family has legally recognized martial arts as the law of the imperial city and kept it secret. Later, he was named Zhao Cheng and became the ancestor of Zhao's surname. The time was around 1000 BC. Zhao Fu's achievement method of Xi Zhi is the source of the main achievement method of practicing plum blossom boxing-"Five Potential Plum Blossom Pile", which shows that the achievement method of plum blossom boxing has been at least 3,000 years.

Wushu prevailed in Zhou, Qin and Han Dynasties, and reached its peak in Tang and Song Dynasties. Later, due to the treacherous court official in the Southern Song Dynasty, the country was ruined. After Song Gongdi Zhao Xian was captured by Kublai Khan, some civil and military ministers went north with the Lord, while others lived in seclusion. The art of civil and military affairs is also rooted in folk secrets and has been passed down continuously. Until the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the original undisclosed civil and military skills were sorted out and perfected by Zou's system, named Meihua Boxing, and spread all over the world. Zou was also honored as "the founder of Meiquan" by later generations.

According to historical records, plum blossom boxing began to spread among the people. During the reign of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, Zou's martial arts became more and more perfect and became famous. In order to spread plum blossom boxing to the people, he left Xuzhou for Kaizhou (now Puyang, Henan Province), and successively took Cai Guangrui, Wang and Meng Youde as disciples and taught martial arts. After the three learned the art, they passed the boxing and taught the skills in different ways.

After receiving Han Huali and Sun Panlong in Kaizhou, Cai Guangrui went north to clear the way and pass the boxing. When passing through Neihuang County, he accepted the disciple of Balizhuang (that is, Wu (17 12) in the reign of Emperor Renchen of Kangxi). Later, he went north to Mazhuang Bridge in Pingyi (now Pingxiang County) in Shunde (Mazhuang in the future) to accept Zhang Fu as a disciple. He taught martial arts in Mazhuangqiao, and later accepted his disciples Li Jinde, Xu Jinde and Zheng Yude. In the year of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1705), Cai Guangrui ordered Li, Xu and Zheng to go to Henan to meet Zou, a great master. This is the "three virtues seeking teachers" circulating in Wulin. After Zou was invited to Mazhuang Bridge, he settled down and set up a field here to collect disciples, preach boxing and teach art. "There were no fewer than 100 disciples at one time." Due to Zou's extremely high skills and superb boxing techniques, Meihua Boxing soon spread in Pingyi, spread in all directions, and became famous in Wulin.

Meihua Boxing is a unique and excellent boxing in China traditional Wushu culture, and it still retains its traditional essence and original inheritance form. On May 20th, 2006, Plum Blossom Boxing was listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list by China people and the State Council. With the approval of the State Council, Zhang Xiling was named as "the representative inheritor of Xingtai Plum Blossom Boxing, a national intangible cultural heritage" by the Ministry of Culture.