A video of eight-year-old Huang Xiangru from Maoming, Guangdong, performing traditional Hongquan, a form of traditional Chinese boxing, has gone viral online. In the clip, she skillfully wields a wooden stool—switching seamlessly between defense and attack—with movements that are powerful, precise, and well-paced.
Huang comes from Guandi Village in Maonan District, a key center for Maonan Hongquan, a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage. Immersed in martial arts from infancy, she began formal training at age two under the guidance of her father, Huang Wendeng, vice president of the Maoming Hongquan Research Association. She has since mastered several traditional techniques, including Hongquan, Crane-style Boxing, and wooden stool forms.
To pass on this legacy, Maonan District launched the "Hongquan Enters Campus" program in 2025, integrating the art into school activities. Today, more than 100,000 local teachers and students practise Hongquan regularly, helping keep this heritage alive.
Reporter: Ye Jie & Wen Jingru
