The oldest kung fu novel discovered at Wudang Mountain

By Li Hongyi ( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2013-06-06

An ancient kung fu novel in vernacular Chinese, was recently discovered in an antique shop on Wudang Mountain.

A copy of Heroes of Wudang Sect, an ancient kung fu novel in vernacular Chinese, was recently discovered in an antique shop on Wudang Mountain, and an expert said that it is the oldest existing book of its kind in Chinese vernacular.

The novel was written by Wang Jingxing, and issued by Shanghai Guangyi Publishing House in 1931. It tells the stories of the disciples of Wudang sect who saved the blameless people who were suffering and punished the evil-doers by using the kung fu of Wudang sect. Printed in traditional Chinese characters, the book consists of two volumes and a total of 268,400 characters.

The latest discovery contains 3 prefaces and 29 sketch portraits, and parts of the work are in the Hubei dialect.

Zhang Huapeng, an expert in ancient architecture who found this book, said that it is of great value for the study of Wudang kung fu.

Edited by Niva Whyman and?Le Qin