Langshan Mountain-World Natural Heritage

Recently, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the list of recommended projects in the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects. Among the 337 recommended projects, 19 projects declared and jointly declared by Hunan provinice were selected. Yanying(Rock Eagle) Boxing of Xinning county was selected into the recommended list of national intangible cultural heritage.

Rock Eagle Boxing of Xinning county is one of the first batch of China’s sports intangible cultural heritage protection and promotion projects. In recent years, Xinning county has combined with the tourism development of Langshan Mountain to vigorously promote the Rock Eagle Boxing culture. “Rock Eagle Boxing” is one of the representative and important species of Hunan traditional martial arts. It originated from the “Eagle Claw Boxing” of Du Xinwu, a martial master. After several generations of great efforts, the Rock Eagle Boxing incorporated the essence of 12-Animal Movements, Five Movements of Shaolin, Eagle Claw Boxing and Crane Boxing. It meticulously imitates the brave and flexible forms and movements of the rock eagles lived in Xinning county, Hunan province while flying out of nest, foraging, soaring, hunting, killing, fighting, etc. It is an excellent pictographic boxing with 4-section 82 movements.

“Rock Eagle Boxing” is a martial art with unique characteristics of the national culture of southwestern Hunan. After more than one hundred years of continuous inheritance and development, it is now spreading and flourishing in the vast area of Xinning county, Hunan province. Its unique styles and superb skills have been highly praised by martial arts experts at home and abroad and from all walks of life.