1974 China national wushu team

Wushu team The 1974 China National Wushu Team was a delegation formed for the purpose of promoting modern wushu internationally including for the first time in the United States. This team was formed during the era of the Cultural Revolution and ping-pong diplomacy, when traditional Chinese martial arts (commonly known as Kung Fu in the West) became restructured into modern wushu in an effort to spread Chinese culture internationally through sports. The 1974 national team notably performed for Richard Nixon in the White House Rose Garden, and included members such as a young Jet Li.Brahm Laurence 2022-02-23 50 years after Nixon's visit, time for kung fu diplomacy http://en.ccg.org.cn/archives/75006 2025-07-19 China Daily Background 1950s-1965: The birth of modern wushu There were several attempts to standardize practical Chinese martial arts in the early 20th century including the Chin Woo Athletic Association and the Central Guoshu Institute run by the Nationalist government.Kennedy and Guo Jingwu Blue Snake Books 2010 978-1-58394-242-0 2 Unlike the Nationalist Party, the Chinese Communist Party disliked the self-defense applications of traditional Chinese martial arts and wanted to restrict those training methods, instead favoring performance-based routines with acrobatics.Judkins Ben 2016-09-12 A Puzzle, a Big Announcement and an Introduction to Kung Fu Diplomacy https://chinesemartialstudies.com/2016/09/12/a-puzzle-a-big-announcement-and-an-introduction-to-kung-fu-diplomacy/ 2025-08-13 chinesemartialartsstudies.com As the Communist Party won the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and established control throughout the county, the Sports Commission promoted the performance-based modern wushu taolu which led to the creation of the Chinese Wushu Association (CWA) in 1958.2003-09-18 中国武术协会 Chinese Wushu Association http://www.olympic.cn/sports/union/domestic/2003/0918/24658.html bot: unknown https://web.archive.org/web/20190531081541/http://www.olympic.cn/sports/union/domestic/2003/0918/24658.html 2019-05-31 2021-10-08 Chinese Olympic Committee zhStanway Glen 2016-01-20 Martial Art of the Month: Modern Wushu https://kungfukingdom.com/martial-art-of-the-month-modern-wushu/ 2025-08-13 kungfukingdom.com In 1960, Chinese delegations were sent to Czechoslovakia and Myanmar to promote Chinese culture and sport; among the delegations were wushu performance teams. Between 1961 and 1966, wushu performances in China were organized for numerous visiting politicians from Nepal, Indonesia, Mongolia, Ghana, North Korea, Afghanistan, Japan, Australia, Mali, and Tanzania. 1966-1973: Reconstruction of modern wushu In 1966, the Cultural Revolution began to take place in China, and the practice of any martial arts (traditional or modern) were banned. Beginning in the 1970s, restrictions began to be slowly lifted, and modern wushu taolu teams began training again. China's participation in the 1971 World Table Tennis Championships led to the start of the Ping-pong diplomacy where China started to participate in international sports competitions again.Ruwich John April 10, 2021 50 Years Later, The Legacy Of U.S.-China 'Pingpong Diplomacy' Faces Challenges https://www.npr.org/2021/04/10/985803697/50-years-later-the-legacy-of-u-s-china-pingpong-diplomacy-faces-challenges NPRItoh Mayumi The Origin of Ping-Pong Diplomacy Palgrave Macmillan 2011 9780230118133 The same year, China was accepted by the Asian Games Federation ahead of the 1974 Asian Games.Putnam Pat 1974-09-16 A Great Plunge Forward for China https://vault.si.com/vault/1974/09/16/a-great-plunge-forward-for-china https://web.archive.org/web/20250822235017/https://vault.si.com/vault/1974/09/16/a-great-plunge-forward-for-china dead August 22, 2025 2025-08-13 Sports Illustrated These developments were followed by the 1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China and the ties between China and the United States were growing closer. In contrast to the Euro-centrist programs of the Olympic Games and Asian Games, China wanted to develop wushu to reflect their own culture on the international stage.Brownell S 2012 Lo Vivienne Wushu and the Olympic games: 'Combination of east and west' or clash of body cultures? The International Journal of the History of Sport London British Museum Research Publications 188 59–69 SAGE Publishing2008-08-21 "北京2008武术比赛"-武术何时走进奥运会国际在线奥运频道8月22日封面故事 http://news.cri.cn/gb/beijing2008/other/cover/cover080822001.htm 2021-03-12 China Radio International zhSeptember 2024 InternetArchiveBot yes By the early 1970s through, no other countries outside of China were aware of modern wushu on a large scale, so the Sports Commission and the CWA developed a plan to organize an exhibition team to promote wushu internationally. Team formation In the early 1970s, municipal and provincial wushu teams began to be organized across China. Officials conducted screenings where they would test the physical abilities of youths where they would measure their stamina, flexibility, jump height, and other factors.Stoni Lauren 2002-10-03 Women master ancient art of fantastic stress relief; Connecticut Post https://advance.lexis.com/document/?pdmfid=1519360&crid=13a521e1-d16e-49f7-ace6-b4dfe2f6ad4b&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fnews%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A46X6-WRX0-009F-S32D-00000-00&pdcontentcomponentid=304481&pdteaserkey=sr15&pditab=allpods&ecomp=hc-yk&earg=sr15&prid=91ea5b43-7332-4e39-bb47-4ce1b24965d9 limited 2025-07-19 Associated Press Individuals who passed screenings were selected to become members of professional wushu teams where they would live and train for several hours each day. During Nixon's 1972 visit to China, Henry Kissinger visited the Central Institute of Physical Education (now known as the Beijing Sport University) and was impressed with the athletic ability of Chinese wushu athletes.Han Feng Wang Ye Ji Pangze 2024-06-28 紀念武術訪美50週年丨友誼的初心，歷史的見證——張山、杜德平訪談錄 Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Wushu's Visit to the United States: A Beginning of Friendship, a Witness to History —Interview with Zhang Shan and Du Deping http://big5.china.com.cn/gate/big5/digital.china.com.cn/2024-06/28/content_42844508.htm 2025-08-13 big5.china.com.cn zh After discussions between Kissinger and Zhou Enlai, an agreement was signed that a Chinese national wushu team delegation would visit and perform in the United States in June 1974.Chang Liu Jung Kyungwon 2019-07-31 The Internationalization of Wushu through Demonstration from 1949 to Early 1980s http://journal_kr.kahperd.or.kr/past/view.asp?a_key=3709799&v_key=58%20&n_key=5 The Korean Journal of Physical Education 2019-09-30 58 5 45–59 10.23949/kjpe.2019.09.58.5.5 2508-7029 2025-08-13 KAHPERD subscription 1974: The National Team is Created In mid-1973, the Sports Commission and the CWA created a committee to create the first national wushu team. The committee was split into two groups, one headed to the north and the other to the south. The committees assessed the abilities of wushu athletes from various provinces. 120 individuals were selected to begin training at the Beijing Worker's Stadium. In October after two months of training, 18 male and 12 female athletes were selected to join the national team. These athletes were relocated to the Shanghai University of Sport where they trained for six months.2024-03-14 50年前的这次访美 意义堪比乒乓外交 This visit to the United States 50 years ago was as significant as Ping-Pong Diplomacy https://www.sohu.com/a/764050443_121649639 2025-07-19 Sohu Beijing zh The head coach was Guo Lei with assistant coaches Zhang Shan and Wang Jiadong.1974-07-13 美国总统尼克松接见我武术代表团 US President Nixon meets with Chinese Wushu delegation https://rmrb.zhouenlai.info/%E5%91%A8%E6%80%BB%E7%90%86%E4%B8%93%E6%A0%8F/%E6%80%BB%E7%90%86%E7%9B%B8%E5%85%B3/1974/1974-07-14%200451580%20%E7%BE%8E%E5%9B%BD%E6%80%BB%E7%BB%9F%E5%B0%BC%E5%85%8B%E6%9D%BE%E6%8E%A5%E8%A7%81%E6%88%91%E6%AD%A6%E6%9C%AF%E4%BB%A3%E8%A1%A8%E5%9B%A2.htm?index=zel 2015-07-19 Xinhua News Agency Washington 5 zh Besides practicing wushu, the delegation met with British instructors for six months to learn American customs and manners. In order to promote the artistic beauty of modern wushu, the team met with the China National Traditional Orchestra to add music to modern wushu performances for the first time. Similarly, the uniforms of the wushu team members were made in many colors and with details to provide an appealing display. Roster Men 20em Guo Shengzhou Xu Jiezheng Wang Changkai Zhen Zhihua Niu Huailu Gao Xiao Liu Xuezhi Han Mingnan Wang Qinbao Yang Chenping Chang Fuyun Zhou Tao Yu Chiyuan Mo Shaoneng Li Chiming Kang Kewu Zheng Jiming Qiu Fangzhen Cui Yahui Li Lianjie (Jet Li) Women 20em Chen Daoyun He Weiqi Guo Pei Zhao Linyan Li Xiaoping Shi Meilin Cheng Aiping Wu Xiumei Xu Bin Bai Yanxia Zong Qiaozhen Lu Yan Zhao Changjun, a rising champion at the time, was notably excluded from the delegation because his specialty styles, zuiquan (drunken) and houquan (monkey), were deemed as poor representations of Chinese people and culture. As a result of his exclusion, Zhao worked with his coaches to develop the modernized ditangquan, a style which kept the acrobatics of zuiquan and houquan but with a "cleaner" style.2021-02-01 赵长军：爱上武术，就是一生一世 Zhao Changjun: Falling in love with martial arts is a lifetime http://tyj.shaanxi.gov.cn/detail/3473 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20210913045557/http://tyj.shaanxi.gov.cn/detail/3473 2021-09-13 2021-09-26 tyj.shaanxi.gov.cn zhChing Gene Oh Gigi 2006 Where Wushu Went Wrong https://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=679 2021-09-09 Kung Fu Magazine The national team tour Shortly before the tour began, the ROC learned about the PRC's wushu troupe and quickly created the "China Star Song and Art Troupe" to tour the United States at the same time of the wushu troupe. After brief negotiations, the United States did not admit the delegation from Taiwan for the time being.2023-12-03 中国武术团访美影响很大（将军、外交家、艺术家黄镇传219） The Chinese Wushu Group's Visit to the United States Had a Significant Impact (Biography of General, Diplomat, and Artist Huang Zhen, 219) http://www.360doc.com/content/23/1203/09/39305010_1106121221.shtml 2025-08-13 www.360doc.com Henan zh Besides the athletes of the China national wushu team, many diplomats and coaches accompanied the delegation including Huang Zhen, chairman of the Liaison Office of the PRC. During the team's entire travels, they would stay on single hotel floors to themselves, accompanied by plain-clothed National Security Agency policemen and guards stationed in the stars, elevators, and hotel lobbies. In addition, all hotel rooms of the Chinese delegation were wiretapped and so delegation members were instructed to be careful with their words even in private. One story is that Jet Li once talked to a mirror asking for ice cream and bananas, and the following day he was granted both snacks in his hotel room.2019-10-23 1974年访美中国武术代表团老武术家参观中国武术博物馆 1974 Chinese Wushu delegation visiting the United States, veteran martial artists visit the Chinese Wushu Museum https://21boya.cn/dianping/news/detail?type=6&id=4626 2025-07-19 Shanghai Municipal Education Commission zh2012-03-02 李连杰回顾美中文化交流 Jet Li reviews US-China cultural exchanges https://www.voachinese.com/a/article-20120302-nixon-40-years-141218483/943969.html 2025-07-19 Voice of America zh Timeline Mexico On June 3, 1974, the 45-member delegation of the China national wushu team departed from Beijing.Jet Li and the 1974 Wushu Delegation https://www.ncuscr.org/fact/jet-li-and-1974-wushu-delegation/ 2025-08-13 National Committee on United States–China Relations1974-06-04 Chinese Team to Tour U.S. https://www.nytimes.com/1974/06/04/archives/chinese-team-to-tour-us.html 2025-08-13 New York Times Hong Kong 40 The team first visited Mexico before the United States.2006 The White House http://www.luyanwushu.com/wushu/whitehouse.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060714040359/http://www.luyanwushu.com/wushu/whitehouse.htm 2006-07-14 2025-08-13 Lu Yan Wushu On June 9, they gave a performance at Chapultepec in Mexico City and on June 12 in the National Palace for an audience of 5,000. The United States On June 21, the team departed for Honolulu, Hawaii, giving three performances for a total audience of 7,000.Tsai Michael 2005-05-08 Jet Li unleashes his talent https://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/May/08/il/il02p.html 2025-08-13 Honolulu Star-Advertiser Jet Li almost started an international incident when he expressed enthusiasm for seeing a Chinese plane, not realizing it was from Taiwan.2022-09-04 zh:1974年李连杰访美，尼克松请他当保镖，他却说：我要保护中国人民 In 1974, when Jet Li visited the United States, Nixon asked him to be his bodyguard, but he said: I want to protect the Chinese people. https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/561175317 2025-08-13 Zhihu zh July 2026 InternetArchiveBot After this visit, the team departed for San Francisco, California. Their Wednesday June 26 performance at the SF Masonic Auditorium of great acclaim was filmed by ABC News.https://www.abcnewsvsource.com/search CHINESE FOLK TROUPE 1974-06-29 DIGITIZED FILM ABC News San Francisco, California A954P05 The team gave three more performances throughout the city. The delegation then left for New York City and performed four times at the Felt Forum (now known as The Theater at Madison Square Garden) for an audience of 17,000 including for a July 4th bash.Thompson Howard 1974-07-05 Wushu Troupe Dazzles https://www.nytimes.com/1974/07/05/archives/wushu-troupe-dazzles.html 2025-08-13 New York Times 14 Their successes were covered by The New York Times and The Washington Post. Washington D.C. On the evening of Wednesday July 10, the China national wushu team performed at The Kennedy Center. On Friday July 12, the team visited the White House and met with Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger from 2:48pm to 3:04pm. The meeting commenced with a changquan performance by Lu Yan and a duilian set by Jet Li and Cui Yahui, all empty-hand events since weapons were not allowed to the White House. President Nixon met with the three children for a photo opportunity. President Nixon asked Jet Li to be his bodyguard. Jet Li responded saying, "I don't want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!" Secretary Kissinger responded saying that Li is "already a fine diplomat."Ching Gene 2025-01-30 How Jet Li's Debut Film Saved the Real-Life Shaolin Temple https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/jet-li-debut-film-saved-the-real-life-shaolin-temple/ 2025-07-19 Den of GeekArchbold Phil 2019-01-05 The untold truth of Jet LI, Chinese movie superstar https://www.maravipost.com/the-untold-truth-of-jet-li-chinese-movie-superstar/ 2025-07-19 Maravi PostMacaulay Sean 2001-11-08 I get a kick out of you https://advance.lexis.com/document/?pdmfid=1519360&crid=434c39d9-d195-4fca-878e-0eb911ea9cbc&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fnews%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A44CV-YKN0-00GN-Y27Y-00000-00&pdcontentcomponentid=10939&pdteaserkey=sr28&pditab=allpods&ecomp=hc-yk&earg=sr28&prid=01a9994d-69a8-41f7-8ddf-2e8a70be2330 limited 2025-07-19 The Times LondonO'Connor Ashling 2003-02-12 Race is on in attempt to be the best bar none https://advance.lexis.com/document/?pdmfid=1519360&crid=5ac78a33-e620-42fd-a245-201c27d63ce2&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fnews%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A47X5-SX40-00GN-Y2TX-00000-00&pdcontentcomponentid=10939&pdteaserkey=sr40&pditab=allpods&ecomp=hc-yk&earg=sr40&prid=0ca3ac47-d8a1-47a0-bba9-17dbf6191917 limited 2025-07-19 The Times London2022-10-26 zh:1974年，基辛格和中国武术团一位小孩握手，小孩后成国际功夫巨星 In 1974, Kissinger shook hands with a child from the Chinese Wushu Troupe, who later became an international Kung Fu superstar. https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20221026A087AA00 2025-08-13 Tencent QQ Sichuan zhhttps://www.abcnewsvsource.com/search NIXON - CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS 1974-07-12 DIGITIZED FILM ABC News White House A955P66Ke Bryan 2022-04-27 Why Jet Li says he turned down Richard Nixon's personal bodyguard offer when he was 11 https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-jet-li-says-turned-192149735.html 2025-08-13 Yahoo News After the delegation's stay in Washington D. C., they set off for Hong Kong on July 14. Hong Kong On July 16, the China national wushu team arrived in British Hong Kong, performing in the Sunbeam Theatre on July 19. After three more performances, they left Hong Kong on July 23 and returned to mainland China. Legacy The 1974 China national wushu team tour marked the first time modern wushu was seen in the west.Zhong Jingwen 2024-10-17 中国武术代表团访美50周年纪念庆典暨第二届武魂论坛在京举行 The 50th anniversary celebration of the Chinese Wushu delegation's visit to the United States and the second Wuhun Forum were held in Beijing https://caijing.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202410/17/WS6710ae28a310b59111d9e66a.html 2025-08-13 China Daily zh Starting in the late half of the 1970s, modern wushu masters from China would emigrate to the US. In 1981, the first US wushu team was organized by Bow-sim Mark, Roger Tung, and Anthony Chan.Alpanseque Emilio May 2018 Close Encounters of the Canine Kind - Wushu Pioneer Kenny Perez and His Pursuit of Dog Boxing http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1425 KungFuMagazine More national wushu teams from China were organized through the 1970s and 1980s to promote wushu internationally. With the resuming of the National Games of China and national wushu championships during the late 1970s, the focus on the national team decreased as coaches and athletes focused more on developing provincial or municipal teams. Starting with the 1985 International Invitational Wushu Championships and the 1987 Asian Wushu Championships, the Chinese national team began to be formed only for international competition purposes.1986-06-26 Chinese wushu steps up to internationalization https://advance.lexis.com/document/?pdmfid=1516831&crid=73de6627-7cdf-45da-87d2-50da391f8598&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fnews%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A3SJB-1PF0-000W-B49K-00000-00&pdcontentcomponentid=8078&pdteaserkey=sr8&pditab=allpods&ecomp=ybvnk&earg=sr8&prid=390807d7-99ee-4a87-be5e-ad885b88aeda limited 2021-08-15 Xinhua General News Service Jinan 0623039 Xinhua News Agency The delegation that eventually became the principal international ambassador for wushu was the Beijing Wushu Team under Wu Bin. Jet Li would become a very popular figure in the wushu community, winning the men's all-around title from 1975 until 1979 while representing Beijing. He retired after a knee injury, and later went into the film industry, starring in Shaolin Temple in 1982. This movie turned Jet Li into a popular icon throughout China and the world, thus spreading modern wushu internationally.1982-09-12 Martial Arts Fever Sweeps China off its Feet https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/12/world/martial-arts-fever-sweeps-china-off-its-feet.html 2023-12-13 New York Times Anniversary Celebrations As part of the 2019 World Wushu Championships, a 45th anniversary celebration was held for the 1974 delegation. The celebration featured a visit to the Chinese Wushu History Museum of the Shanghai University of Sport and a ceremony. In 2024, 50th anniversary celebrations were held in Ontario, California in September, and in Beijing, China in October.2024-09-17 中国武术代表团访美50周年纪念庆典大会盛大举行，共话传承与创新【视频】 The 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Chinese Wushu Delegation's Visit to the United States Was Held in a Grand Manner, Discussing Inheritance and Innovation [Video] https://amtvusa.tv/2024/09/17/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E6%AD%A6%E6%9C%AF%E4%BB%A3%E8%A1%A8%E5%9B%A2%E8%AE%BF%E7%BE%8E50%E5%91%A8%E5%B9%B4%E7%BA%AA%E5%BF%B5%E5%BA%86%E5%85%B8%E5%A4%A7%E4%BC%9A%E7%9B%9B%E5%A4%A7%E4%B8%BE%E8%A1%8C%EF%BC%8C/ 2025-08-13 American Multimedia Television USA zh2024-10-11 中国武术代表团访美50周年纪念庆典在京举行 Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Chinese Wushu delegation's visit to the United States was held in Beijing https://news.bjd.com.cn/2024/10/12/10932262.shtml 2025-08-13 Beijing Daily zh See also China national wushu team References External links President Nixon's Daily Diary, July 1-31, 1974 (1974) China National Wushu Team in San Francisco - Raw Footage Category:Wushu in China Category:Jet Li Category:Richard Nixon Category:China–United States sports relations Category:China–Mexico sports relations Category:Diplomatic visits to the United States Category:National wushu teams