The Central Plains Martial Arts Heritage Base, established under the auspices of Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, is recognized as one of the third-batch Henan Provincial Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture Heritage Bases. Anchored in the rich soil of traditional Chinese culture and guided by core socialist values, the base harnesses the profound historical legacy and regional distinctiveness of Central Plains martial arts. It is dedicated to constructing a university-specific framework for the preservation and advancement of martial arts, making significant strides in educational outreach, safeguarding and transmission, innovative evolution, and cross-cultural dialogue. These efforts breathe new life into the promotion of outstanding traditional Chinese culture and bolster Henan’s ambition to emerge as a cultural powerhouse in the Central Plains region.
The core heritage focus of the base encompasses three primary areas:
1. Preserving the Cultural Essence of Central Plains Martial Arts: The base delves deep into the harmonious cultural attributes of martial arts, which emphasize both the standardization of physical form and the transmission of spiritual connotations. Using martial arts as a vehicle, it disseminates the concept of national fitness and fulfills its contemporary duty in cultural preservation and national cultural security.
2. Systematic Excavation and Organization of Martial Arts Classics and Folk Techniques: Leveraging the Central Plains’ status as the cradle of martial arts, the base comprehensively collates the lineage, theoretical frameworks, techniques, and iconic figures of over 50 Central Plains martial arts styles, including Shaolin Boxing and Chen-style Tai Chi. It constructs a comprehensive resource database dedicated to Central Plains martial arts culture.
3. Innovating Heritage and Development Concepts: Combining the strengths of university teaching, research, and talent cultivation, the base pioneers a sustainable heritage mechanism and promotes the integration of Central Plains martial arts into the broader cultural rejuvenation strategy and international communication landscape.
The base’s construction showcases three innovative features:
1. Diversified and Collaborative Teaching System: Martial arts has been a mandatory course since the university’s inception, with a range of offerings such as Shaolin Boxing and Tai Chi, alongside two high-quality university-level online courses. Notably, College Physical Education – Martial Arts (Simplified Shaolin Boxing Teaching) has been recognized as an outstanding provincial-level course, benefiting over 32,000 students. The innovative “2+X” teaching model promotes tiered instruction, linking online theoretical learning with offline performance assessments to achieve a seamless blend of skill instruction and cultural enrichment. Furthermore, curriculum-based ideological and political education is integrated throughout to fortify the education of ideals, beliefs, and national spirit.
2. Government-University-Society Co-construction and Sharing Mechanism: The base enjoys in-depth collaboration with the Henan Wushu Sports Management Center and the Henan Wushu Association, inviting martial arts inheritors to serve as visiting professors. It successfully hosted the inaugural Central Plains Martial Arts Inheritor Summit Forum, establishing a high-level exchange platform.
3. Maximizing the Educational Impact of Martial Arts: Through initiatives like the “Chinese Culture Experience Tour” and the Center for International Communication and Experience of Chinese Martial Arts, the base promotes Central Plains martial arts globally. The university’s martial arts association has repeatedly garnered national and provincial accolades for excellence, while the martial arts team has clinched numerous championships in competitions at all levels. An annual university-wide martial arts competition, with cumulative participation exceeding 100,000, forms a three-dimensional heritage model encompassing classrooms, associations, competitions, and international exchanges.
Looking ahead, the Central Plains Martial Arts Base will continue to uphold the philosophy of “consolidating ‘grand martial arts,’ serving ‘grand sports,’ and contributing to ‘grand health.’” It will deepen curriculum development, research, and radiating influence, striving to forge a distinctive brand for the heritage of Central Plains martial arts culture and contributing the university’s strength to safeguarding the Chinese cultural heritage and enhancing cultural soft power.