10th World Kungfu Championships in Emeishan, Sichuan

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World Kungfu Championships draw 5,092 athletes to Sichuan

By PENG CHAO | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-10-17 18:38

Athletes compete at the 10th World Kungfu Championships on Friday in Emeishan, Sichuan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 10th World Kungfu Championships kicked off on Thursday in Emeishan, Sichuan province, drawing 5,092 athletes from 54 countries and regions.

Hosted by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), it’s an international sporting event established in 2004 to promote the development of wushu, or kung fu, around the world.

The Emei Kung Fu Girls, China’s first all-female martial arts group, perform traditional Chinese kung fu on Thursday at the opening ceremony of the 10th World Kungfu Championships in Emeishan, Sichuan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

At the opening ceremony, Chinese actor Wu Jing was appointed as the new wushu image ambassador for the IWUF and the Chinese Wushu Association, succeeding kung fu actor Li Lianjie, known in the West as Jet Li.

This year’s event, which will run through Monday, is divided into domestic and international categories and features individual, duilian (choreographed sparring), and group competitions.

Athletes compete at the 10th World Kungfu Championships on Friday in Emeishan, Sichuan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The organizers said the championships provide a stage for wushu enthusiasts to showcase their skills and promote the global inheritance and development of traditional martial arts through diverse cultural exchanges.

A series of supporting activities will be held simultaneously, including a wushu forum, lectures by wushu masters, rank evaluations for international wushu practitioners, kung fu performances, and an exhibition and sale of traditional martial arts weapons.

Athletes compete at the 10th World Kungfu Championships on Friday in Emeishan, Sichuan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Emeishan, named after Mount Emei, has been the host city for the World Kungfu Championships for four consecutive sessions.

Mount Emei is the birthplace of the Emei school, one of the three top schools of Chinese martial arts, alongside Shaolin and Wudang. With a history of nearly 3,000 years, the Emei school has developed over 80 branches and hundreds of distinct boxing styles and routines.

In recent years, Emei wushu has established a comprehensive inheritance and development system by establishing a wushu academy and formulating a standardization system, local authorities said.

I couldn’t find the 9th, but I did find the 8th here, which was also in Emei, pre-pandemic.

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This event was great. I competed in Yang Taiji.

The 11th is scheduled for 2027 in Jiangyin.

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Very cool. How was the event?

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Very intense. More than 5000 competitors split between a Chinese event and an event for the rest of the world. The level of competition was very high. It was a great showcase of traditional Wushu styles .

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Very cool. Did you post photos anywhere, like on your social media?

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There are a few pictures in this article that I wrote on the US Wushu Academy Website and in this article that Coach Christopher Pei wrote about the trip.

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Nice write up! Thanks for sharing that here.

And please pass my regards to Coach Pei.