Shiyan Municipal People’s Government and the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education, who initiated the establishment of Wudang International Martial Arts College, which is tentatively scheduled to open in the fall of 2014, held a meeting on the project at Wudang Mountains, Hubei province, on Dec 7, wudangshan.gov.cn reported.

The participants discussed the construction of infrastructure, educational matters, including the courses on offer, and also admission procedures. Long Liangwen, executive vice-mayor of Shiyan city, Huang Haojun, Party secretary of the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education, and Lv Wangang, president of the institute, attended the meeting.

The Shiyan government and the institute discussed ways to accelerate the construction and reached an agreement on the issue, and both sides said that they hope it will become a college with an international reputation.

Shiyan and the institute signed the agreement for the establishment of the college on Jan 28, 2010, and it states that the municipality is expected to run it.

Earlier this year, the local authorities approved the application from the Wudang management committee, and the Hubei Wudang Mountains Tourism Development Co Ltd was put in charge of the investment and construction.

The campus has a planned area of 33.33 hectares, with 10 hectares in the first phase, and the college, with total investment of 300 million yuan ($49.41 million), will include teaching buildings, administration buildings, a library, teachers’ apartments and a martial arts training hall. The second construction phase will focus on a sports field and logistics services.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed that the college should give priority to undergraduate and higher vocational courses, and also majors involving aspects of Wudang martial arts, such as Taoist culture, music and medicine.

The college will follow the guidance of the institute concerning the national enrollment plan, and the institute will appoint administrative staff and teachers and will also issue diplomas and degree certificates to graduates.