1,600 Athletes Participated in the First Yongchun White Crane Kung Fu Tournament

More than 1,600 martial artists from 111 domestic and international teams gathered in Yongchun as the 2026 National Traditional Wushu Open (Yongchun White Crane Kungfu Division) opened on Aug. 8, Antara News reported.

The event runs through Aug. 10 at Yongchun Dilan Gymnasium. The competition is White Crane Kungfu's first standalone division in China's national official tournament system in its 300-year legacy. White Crane joins Praying Mantis, Xingyi and Baji among inaugural featured styles with dedicated national-level competition arenas, and that Fujian is hosting a national event for a single martial art for the first time.

The opening ceremony included the "24 Solar Terms Drumbeat" and a performance in which robots and 100 martial artists performed the 18 forms of White Crane Kungfu side by side. "White Crane Kungfu was created by Fang Qiniang in the Qing Dynasty—the only Chinese martial art founded by a woman," the article said, adding that it has spread to more than 80 countries and was inscribed on China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2008.

The competition features age-based categories for all generations and more than 100 events, including bare-hand forms, weapon routines and sparring drills, according to the report.