Hometown of Zhang Sanfeng

Hometown of Zhang Sanfeng

The hometown of Zhang Sanfeng is a cultural tourism attraction.

Historical records indicate that an earthen city was built on the western bank, and in the ninth year of the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty, Wangping County was established there. It is said that Zhang Sanfeng, the founding master of Tai Chi, was born here.

According to the "History of Ming": Zhang Sanfeng was a native of Liangyuwu, Yizhou, Liaodong (now Tucheng Village, Jiangtun Town, Heishan County, Liaoning Province), and was born on the ninth day of the fourth month in the third year of the Mongolian Emperor Dingzong’s reign at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty (1248).

Zhang Sanfeng began his education at the age of five, studying under the monk Baiyun (Zhang Yun’an). Legend says he stepped on lotus flowers as he studied literature and martial arts, and by the age of eighteen, he had become a renowned scholar-hero in Liaodong. He once served as the magistrate of Boling County. Later, he became a disciple of Huolong Zhenren on Zhongnan Mountain, and eventually mastered profound internal alchemy practices on Mount Wudang. He was not only a highly skilled martial artist with extraordinary presence, but also a Quanzhen Taoist priest and a chivalrous hero who roamed the jianghu with flair.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Sanfeng captivated successive emperors and was conferred the title of "Tongwei Toutuo Zhenren" (Perfected One of Penetrating Subtlety).

He was also honored with titles such as "Taoguang Shangzhi Zhenxian" (Immortal of Concealing Brilliance and Aspiring to Virtue) and "Qingxu Yuangmiao Zhenjun" (Celestial Lord of Pure Emptiness and Mysterious Wonder).