A typical westerner may have a few assumptions when they think of Chinese people, they probably imagine the Chinese person either a) know Kung Fu and b) are really good at math. But these are only cultural stereotypes, right? Not necessarily…meet the people of Tianzhu, China. This little village near the mountains of central China is home to a variety of Kung Fu styles, since every single villager knows Kung Fu. With no exceptions, everyone is expected to practice!
There are two theories which offer an explanation for this unusual situation. One being that in the past, this village was frequented by wild beasts, which killed livestock and injured the inhabitants. In order to protect from the beasts, the villagers picked the strongest representatives from younger generations to create, develop and use martial arts for defensive purposes. Another legend tells a past where the village was routinely pillaged by neighboring villages, thus the villagers invited two martial arts experts to teach them how to defend themselves. Later on, these skills were passed down through generations and everyone became skilled.
Whether the stories are true or not we may never know, is clear this is a village of epically skilled martial artists! Check out what one editor did by adding some ‘Dragon Ball effects’ for your viewing pleasure.
As for the stereotype about everyone in China being good in mathematics, we fear to ask about it – who knows maybe there is a village full of math geniuses already revolutionising mathematics?
