Qualla: Guangfu Ancient City

Guangfu Ancient City: Introduction

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit H2v5o68z, CC0. The slow movements of tai chi look nothing like the violence that shaped this town. Guangfu, a walled settlement surrounded by the reed-filled wetlands of Yongnian Marsh in Hebei province, has been a site of sieges, rebellions, and executions since the Warring States period. But it is remembered today for something quieter. In the nineteenth century, two men living within these walls, Yang Luchan and Wu Yuxiang, developed the Yang and Wu styles of tai chi, founding two of the largest martial arts traditions in the world. The town that once held prisoners of war now draws visitors who come to practice breathing exercises in its restored courtyards.

Read more: Guangfu Ancient City on Qualla

Image: H2v5o68z | CC0

Guangfu Ancient City: Walls Built in Layers

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit 梓地, CC BY-SA 3.0. Guangfu's city walls began as earthen ramparts during the Tang dynasty in the seventh to ninth centuries, then were reinforced with masonry under the Yuan dynasty in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and again under the Ming. Each layer represents a different power's claim...

Read more: Guangfu Ancient City on Qualla

Image: 梓地 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Guangfu Ancient City: Battleground of the Tang Founding

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit 梓地, CC BY-SA 3.0. During the chaotic years that followed the fall of the Sui dynasty, Guangfu became a prize fought over by warlords and Tang loyalists alike. The rebel leader Dou Jiande captured Li Shentong, a Tang prince, and held him in Guangfu's prison. When Dou was defeated at the Battle of H...

Read more: Guangfu Ancient City on Qualla

Image: 梓地 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Guangfu Ancient City: Where Tai Chi Found Its Form

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit 梓地, CC BY-SA 3.0. In the nineteenth century, under the Qing dynasty, Guangfu produced two martial artists whose legacies would outlast the dynasty itself. Yang Luchan, born around 1799, is credited with founding Yang-style tai chi, which emphasizes slow, flowing movements and has become the most w...

Read more: Guangfu Ancient City on Qualla

Image: 梓地 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Guangfu Ancient City: A Town in the Reeds

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit 梓地, CC BY-SA 3.0. Guangfu sits in the middle of Yongnian Marsh, a wetland environment that has shaped the town's character across millennia. The marsh provided fish, reeds, and a defensive perimeter that made the town difficult to approach and easy to defend. It also created a sense of isolation, ...

Read more: Guangfu Ancient City on Qualla

Image: 梓地 | CC BY-SA 3.0