Girl group ignites interest in kung fu

In the same way young US moviegoers might aspire to become a superhero, young Chinese dream of becoming martial arts heroes.

The Emei Kung Fu Girls, a group of girls and women from Generation Z, is bringing new passion to traditional Chinese martial arts and has sparked a nationwide craze.

Gen Z refers to those born between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s.

In a promotional video released in early May, nine group members demonstrated the signature weapons of the Emei school with fluid movements and exquisite skills. The video has received more than a billion views and is trending on Chinese social media platforms.

Comments by netizens frequently liken them to heroes out of Chinese martial arts novels.

"We didn't expect to receive so much attention and love right after our debut," said Ma-Zhao Lingyun, better known by her given name, a core member of the group. "The compliments and encouragement are an honor and inspire us to make more progress in inheriting and promoting Emei kung fu and traditional Chinese culture."

As an inheritor of Emei kung fu, a national intangible cultural heritage, Lingyun rose to internet fame in 2020 because of a short video in which she tosses a sword into the air and wields it with blinding swiftness in a series of Emei moves while taking out the trash.

Emei is one of the three major schools of Chinese martial arts, along with Shaolin and Wudang. It is known for martial arts training courses and developing themed tourism products. Inheritors are also in talks with movie directors about making films based on the Emei school.

Through the Emei Kung Fu Girls — the first female martial arts intellectual property to go viral in China — 26-year-old Lingyun hopes to lead more young people to appreciate traditional culture.

"We are not satisfied with simply being an ordinary idol group," she said. "Instead, we hope to make breakthroughs in cultural innovation and expression to promote and carry forward more culturally profound elements."

Li Jieyu, who manages the group, said members of the Emei Kung Fu Girls receive daily training on Emei Mountain in Sichuan province from inheritors of Emei school martial arts.

In addition to learning basic skills and characteristic Emei moves, they also take specialized training courses, including horseback riding, archery and performing arts to improve their performances on stage, Li said.

Chen Yufei, a member of the group, said they usually train for three hours in the morning, take a short break at noon, and then continue training for another four hours.

"The training is so draining that we often sleep before the afternoon training," she said. "But once the music starts, everyone cheers themselves up and quickly gets into the training routine."

Li Nuofei, another member, said she enjoys the strength and beauty that come with martial arts, despite the exhausting training. She said perseverance and patience are the keys to learning the skills.

Li Jieyu, the manager, said the girls want to showcase the unique charm of traditional Chinese kung fu on the international stage, and they shot a video in Paris before the Olympic Games.

She said the group also looks forward to exchanging ideas with international martial arts practitioners, as well as with different regional cultures around the world, to create new works in different forms, including short plays, flash mobs and variety shows.

Professor Cai Shangwei, director of the Culture Industry Research Center at Sichuan University, said: "With the increase in China's overall national strength in recent years, Chinese people, especially the young people of Gen Z, are more confident in their own traditional culture. This has led to a revival of traditional Chinese culture."

He said the profound cultural heritage of Emei martial arts — which boast a history of nearly 3,000 years — provides a solid foundation for the popularity of the Emei Kung Fu Girls.

Emei martial arts are featured in the works of modern martial arts fiction writers such as Li Shoumin (better known by his pen name Huanzhu Louzhu) and Jin Yong (Louis Cha Leung-yung), making Emei a highly influential martial arts school, he said.

Cai said every culture must evolve with the times and incorporate innovative elements by integrating with other outstanding cultures to maintain its vitality and appeal and meet the spiritual needs of people in the new era.

By blending martial arts with other cultural elements, such as dance, music and costumes, the Emei Kung Fu Girls exhibit a strong sense of modernity and fashion. This approach allows intangible cultural heritage to enter the realm of cultural consumption and gives it sustainable vitality, he said.

Wang Chao, a national-level inheritor of Emei martial arts, said people have been flocking to Emei Mountain to study kung fu in recent years, especially after the Emei Kung Fu Girls made a name for themselves around the country.