Female kung fu group sparks craze

The Emei Kung Fu Girls, a female kung fu group formed in April by a group of Generation Z youths from across the country who are passionate about traditional Chinese martial arts, has sparked a craze among young people in China.

In their first promotional video, released in early May, nine members of the Emei Kung Fu Girls demonstrated the kung fu routine and weapons of the Emei Sect with fluid movements and exquisite skills. Within just one week, the video received over one billion views and became a trending topic on various social media platforms.

"We didn't expect to receive so much attention right after our debut. The compliments and encouragement make us feel honored and inspire us to make more progress in inheriting and promoting Emei kung fu and traditional Chinese culture," said Ling Yun, the core member of the group, who is also an inheritor of the Emei martial arts, which is listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The 26-year-old said they are not satisfied with simply being a traditional idol group. Instead, they hope to make breakthroughs in cultural innovation and media expression, and promote and carry forward more culturally profound elements.

Li Jieyu, who manages the female group, said members of the Emei Kung Fu Girls receive daily training on the Emei Mountain in Sichuan province from inheritors of the Emei martial arts.

In addition to basic martial arts skills and Emei martial arts moves, they also take specialized training courses such as horseback riding, archery and performing arts, which aims to improve their performance on stage, she said.

Li said the group's latest core plan is to create program content in Paris in July, coinciding with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, to showcase the unique charm of traditional Chinese kung fu on the international stage.

"We also look forward to exchanging with various types of martial arts internationally, as well as different regional cultures around the world, to create new works in different forms, such as short plays, flash mobs and variety shows," she added.