Actors get their kicks in new show

Born in Foshan, Liang started to learn nanquan, a form of Chinese boxing, at age 7. The following year, her instructor recognized her talents in taijiquan, or tai chi, and selected her to practice the genre.

From a very young age, Liang was enchanted by the character Zixia Fairy in the 1990s Hong Kong comedy series A Chinese Odyssey.

The character, known for her beauty, bravery and martial arts prowess, inspired two dreams in Liang. One was to master martial arts, and the other was to become an actress capable of portraying a character as memorable as Zixia Fairy.

After years of dedicated training, she not only mastered the movements of tai chi, but also gradually realized the life philosophy embedded within.

In 2019, she clinched the gold medal in the women's tai chi competition at the 15th World Kungfu Championships.

"I felt it was time to pursue the other dream," she recalls.

The tai chi athlete retired in 2020.

Now, as an actress, she believes her experience in the sports arena will contribute to her acting career.

"For example, the exhilarating and tearful moment standing on the award podium is something I will repeatedly cherish from my extensive tai chi practice. These emotions will be stored and will help me better portray characters in my future acting endeavors," she says.

In the show Lai Zhe He Ren, she's always willing to support fellow trainees in their martial arts practice and leaves a lasting impression on viewers with her tai chi skills.

Following the broadcast, she says that she is delighted that more people have begun to recognize the professional application of traditional Chinese martial arts in the entertainment industry.

"I hope that more people will get to know about tai chi and appreciate the allure of traditional Chinese culture," she adds.