Taijiquan and Daoism. From Religion to Martial Art and Martial Art to Religion

• Autore principale: Douglas Wile (Autore)
• Natura: Libro
• Pubblicazione: Universidad de León, 2012-07-01T00:00:00Z.
• Soggetti: article
• Accesso online: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2174-0747
• Keywords: Martial arts; tai chi; taijiquan; Sports; GV557-1198.995
• Source: Revista de Artes Marciales Asiáticas, Vol 3, Iss 1, Pp 8-45 (2012)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 6pt;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This study explores the ways in which the construction and deconstruction of a martial arts-Daoism connection has figured in political ideology, national iden-tity, and commercial interest during the past 400 years of Chinese history. Focusing on the taijiquan-Daoism-Zhang Sanfeng nexus, it traces the wrapping of a martial art in indigenous religious garb during the periods of Manchu rule, Japanese occupation, and post-Mao 21st century. It concludes by reporting on a contemporary movement in China to revive the cult of Zhang Sanfeng and to cast taijiquan as a form of religious practice. In this light, taijiquan emerges as an important site of constructing "Chinese-ness" in the face of state appropriation and Western cultural imperialism.<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></strong></span></span></span></p>