Wudang Longmen at the 9th World Taijiquan Health Congress

Down the Mountain in White: Wudang Longmen at the 9th World Taijiquan Health Congress白衣下山，龙门归来：第九届世界太极拳健康大会记

23 October 2026

Autumn in Shiyan brought a blue mat as wide as a river and a team in white from Wudang Longmen. They came home with silver and bronze, a third-prize team plaque, and the mountain air still in their sleeves.

October in Shiyan, and the air had turned clear and cool. The 9th World Taijiquan Health Congress opened in the city's great arena, organised by China's national wushu authorities, the Chinese Wushu Association, the Hubei Sports Bureau and the Shiyan city government. One banner over the hall said it plainly: the world's taiji comes home to Wudang.

Practitioners in white taiji uniforms wave and smile at the edge of the arena. — Smiles before stepping on.

Down the mountain in white

The students of Wudang Longmen came down the mountain dressed in white and stepped onto the wide blue mat. Before their turn there was laughter and a few playful hand signs, and someone straightened a collar. Then came the opening posture, and the hall went quiet. They moved as one body and breathed as one breath, like a single cloud drifting across a valley.

The team stands in formation on a blue competition mat in a large arena. — Stillness before the first movement.

A young practitioner in white performs with a long weapon, with competitors in black on either side. — A weapons routine on the competition floor.

Sun and moon on the chest

They went home with silver and bronze around their necks and a team plaque for third prize. What stays longer than the metal is something one of them wrote afterwards: a lone walker goes fast, but walkers together go far. No team's glory belongs to one person. It is many small lights, quietly held up by each brother and sister, gathering into a river.

A practitioner balances on one leg, raising award certificates in front of the event banner. — Medal in hand, still standing on one leg.

A woman in white holds up a silver medal and a pink award certificate. — Silver and bronze.

A smiling woman in glasses holds two medals and two certificates before the blue banner. — Two medals, two certificates.

A woman in white wearing a bronze medal gives a thumbs-up. — A thumbs-up from the podium.

A group in white wearing medals gathers around a bearded teacher in a dark robe, with the arena behind. — The whole team with their teacher in the stands.

Back under the old Longmen gate, their teacher stood among them with his long white beard and gave the day a thumbs-up.

The team in white and black robes holds certificates and a gold plaque before a carved wooden gate reading 武当龍門. — Home under the Wudang Longmen gate, with medals, certificates and the team's third-prize plaque.

Song of the White Robes of Longmen

In the spirit of Li Bai

Have you not seen Wudang, its seventy-two peaks stabbing the sky,
all bowing to the Golden Summit, clouds born at their feet for three thousand years?
Have you not seen the Longmen students come down in white,
sleeves lifting like cranes, every step as natural as water?

Autumn deepens in Shiyan, and the lamps burn bright as noon.
The blue mat spreads like a sea without a shore.
One opening posture, and heaven and earth fall still.
They hold the One, rooted like the mountain itself.

Soft and hard together, like water around stone.
Full and empty clear, like wind crossing a river.
Bronze like the sun and silver like the moon
hang at their chests and shine back their smiles.

Why weigh a third prize? One heart among many outweighs a thousand words.
Alone you go fast; together you go far, and small lights pool into a deep spring.
Home again beneath the old gate, the master laughs and strokes his white beard.
Raise a cup and invite the mountain moon. Next year, we climb into the clouds again.

About this entry

Place: Wudang Mountain