* prices for double rooms are per person and are only available to students travelling together
Wudang Daoist Traditional
Kungfu Academy
武当山道家传统武术馆
One-Week Kung Fu & Qigong Course on Wudang Mountain
One week is enough to learn your first complete sequence — and enough to understand why people come back for months. Our short-term course runs year-round at the Wudang Daoist Traditional Kungfu Academy (WDTKA), the original kungfu school on Wudang Mountain, founded in 2004 by Master Yuan Xiu Gang, a 15th-generation disciple of the Wudang San Feng Sect.
You will train around seven hours a day in a small international group, sleep in a room beside YuZhenGong Temple, and eat three freshly cooked meals a day. No previous martial arts experience is required, and there are no fixed start dates: you can arrive on any day of the week, Monday to Sunday, and the coaches assess you on your first morning and place you in the right group. Short-term students train straight through the weekend too — Saturday and Sunday carry scheduled make-up sessions, so no matter which day you arrive, not a single training day is lost.
What You Will Learn in Seven Days
Choose one focus for the week. The coaches build your daily programme around that choice, so you finish with something you can actually practise at home rather than a scattering of fragments.
Track 1 — Ba Duan Jin Qigong Week（八段锦气功周）
Learn the complete Eight Pieces of Brocade — the most effective health qigong set in the Daoist tradition. Each of the eight movements targets a specific organ system and meridian pathway. The complete set can be learned in as little as four days; the full week adds repetition, corrections and the free bonus sessions, so that by the end you can run a complete 20-minute morning routine entirely on your own.
All-inclusive price: from ¥5,470 CNY — covers 7 nights' accommodation, three meals a day, and all training. Based on the most economical room type; other room types are available at higher rates (see the full price list).
Track 2 — Wudang Tai Chi 9 Forms Week（太极9式周）
A short, complete Tai Chi sequence designed as the correct entry point before the longer Wudang 13, 28 and 108 forms. You learn the postures, the transitions, and the basic sensitivity that makes the form work as a martial art rather than a dance.
All-inclusive price: from ¥6,590 CNY — same inclusions: 7 nights' accommodation, three meals a day, and all training.
Every Week Also Includes — Free of Charge
Whichever track you choose, these sessions are added to your timetable at no extra cost:
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Five Animals Qigong (五形气功) — the Daoist system of Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Snake and Crane
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Zhan Zhuang (站桩) — standing meditation, the core internal practice of the Wudang lineage
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Seated meditation (静坐) — evening stillness practice, Monday to Friday
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Kung fu basics (武术基本功) — stances, stretching, coordination and breathing drills that every Wudang practitioner trains daily
Your Week, Hour by Hour
Training follows the rhythm the academy has used for two decades. Timings shift slightly with the season.
| Time | Activity
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------
| 06:30 – 07:30 | Morning class: qigong, standing meditation, free practice
| 07:50 | Breakfast
| 09:00 – 11:30 | Main class 1: new material, form segments, corrections
| 11:50 | Lunch
| 15:00 – 17:00 | Main class 2: repetition, partner drills, individual practice
| 17:30 | Dinner
| 18:30 – 19:30 | Seated meditation (bonus session)
How your week unfolds (rolling start — the same structure applies whichever day you arrive):
Day 1 — Arrival. Taxi from Wudangshan Airport (40 minutes) or Wudangshanxi Railway Station (25 minutes), check in, meet the other students over dinner.
Day 2 — Assessment. The coaches watch how you move, place you in a group, and set your focus for the week.
Day 3–6 — Building the sequence. New movements in the morning, repetition and correction in the afternoon. This is where the week earns its value: the same form, taught until it is in your body.
Every day, including Saturday and Sunday. Short-term students do not break for the weekend. Saturday and Sunday run on a make-up class schedule: whatever segments your group has not yet covered — because you arrived mid-week, or because a movement needs more repetition — are taught in these sessions. A rolling start plus weekend make-up classes means a Monday arrival and a Thursday arrival both get the same full seven training days.
One-Week All-Inclusive Prices
The price below covers everything: training, accommodation and three meals a day. There are no hidden charges at the end of the stay.
| Course | 7 days, all-inclusive, from
| -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------
| Ba Duan Jin Qigong Week（八段锦气功周） | **¥5,470 CNY** |
| Wudang Tai Chi 9 Forms Week（太极9式周） | **¥6,590 CNY** |
Included in both packages:
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Around seven hours of daily instruction, every day of your stay — weekend make-up classes included
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7 nights' accommodation (most economical room type; upgrades available)
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Three freshly cooked Chinese meals every day, vegetarian-friendly
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Free bonus sessions: Five Animals Qigong, Zhan Zhuang, seated meditation, kung fu basics
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Evening meditation, Monday to Friday
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Access to the training ground, meditation hall, common room, library and Wi-Fi
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Free visa invitation letter if you need one for your application
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1 Set of TaiChi Uniform
Not included: international flights, Chinese visa application fees, personal items (toiletries, training shoes), and optional excursions such as temple tickets and the cable car.
A 300 EUR (or USD equivalent) deposit reserves your place; it is deducted from the total, not added to it. Other room types and longer stays are priced on the Tuition & Fees page.
The most economical room type:
Is One Week Enough?
For a complete system, no. Wudang martial arts are a lifetime practice, and the full curriculum — Taiji 13, 28 and 108, weapons, Bagua Zhang, Xing Yi, internal alchemy — takes months to years.
For one form, yes. In seven training days — with no weekend break, since make-up classes run through Saturday and Sunday — most beginners can learn one complete sequence well enough to practise alone, understand the basic mechanics of Wudang movement, and feel the difference between internal training and a fitness class. Students who want a full form plus a weapon usually stay two to three weeks.
If your dates are fixed at one week, the honest recommendation is to pick a single track and repeat it rather than sample three. Depth in one form is worth more than a week of introductions.
Who Joins the One-Week Course
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Complete beginners who want to try internal martial arts before committing to a longer stay. Around half of our students arrive with no martial arts background at all.
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Tai Chi practitioners who want to see the source — the Wudang forms from which modern Tai Chi descended — and correct habits picked up from video courses.
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Travellers with a spare week in China. Wudang sits between Xi'an and Wuhan, and fits neatly into a longer itinerary.
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People seeking qigong for health — recovery from injury, back pain, stress, or simply a week away from screens. Our students range from their twenties to their seventies.
Getting Here and Entry Requirements
By air: fly to Wudangshan Airport (WDS), served daily from Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Chengdu. The academy is a 40-minute taxi ride away (about ¥100–120 RMB); we can arrange the pickup.
By train: Wudangshanxi Railway Station is 25 minutes from the academy; Shiyan East Station is about one hour.
Entry: many nationalities can now enter China visa-free for short stays, and rules change often — check the current policy for your passport before booking flights. If you do need a visa, we issue an official invitation letter free of charge once your deposit arrives, usually within one to two days. Details are in our Travel Guide.
How to Book Your Week
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Choose your dates. Pick any arrival day from Monday to Sunday — there are no fixed start dates.
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Send the registration form. Tell us your dates, your track (Ba Duan Jin Qigong or Tai Chi 9 Forms) and your preferred room type.
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Confirm availability. Our office replies within 1–2 business days with your exact total and the transfer details.
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Pay the 300 EUR/USD deposit. Your room and place are reserved from that moment.
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Get your invitation letter and book flights. Send us the transfer receipt and your passport photo page, and we prepare the letter the same week.
What to Bring
Loose trousers, a couple of t-shirts, flat training shoes with thin soles, a warm layer for early mornings, and a refillable water bottle. We have a shop on site for uniforms and basic equipment, and the town at the foot of the mountain sells anything else you need. Leave the suitcase of gadgets at home — the point of the week is the quiet.
Short-Term Course FAQ
How much does one week cost in total?
From ¥5,470 CNY for the Ba Duan Jin Qigong Week and from ¥6,590 CNY for the Wudang Tai Chi 9 Forms Week — both all-inclusive: 7 nights' accommodation, three meals a day and all training, based on the most economical room type. Upgraded rooms cost more; see the full price list.
What do I actually learn in one week?
One complete sequence — the eight movements of Ba Duan Jin qigong, or the Wudang Tai Chi 9 Forms — plus the bonus sessions included free: Five Animals Qigong, Zhan Zhuang standing meditation, seated meditation and kung fu basics.
Can I join for less than a week?
Yes. The Ba Duan Jin Qigong track can be learned in as little as 3 or 4 days, so a four-day stay is a workable option. The Tai Chi 9 Forms track needs at least 5 days to cover the sequence properly.
Do I need martial arts experience?
No. Beginners are the majority. If you already train, the coaches adjust the level and give you more advanced corrections.
Can I start on any day of the week?
Yes — you can arrive on any day from Monday to Sunday. There are no fixed start dates. Because short-term students have make-up classes on Saturday and Sunday instead of a weekend break, a mid-week arrival loses nothing: your seven training days are always complete.
Will I get a certificate?
Students who complete the week receive a certificate of attendance from the academy. Formal lineage discipleship is a separate path that requires years of study.
What if I get injured or have a health condition?
Tell us on the registration form. The coaches adapt the programme, and Wudang training is low-impact by design — our qigong and Taiji classes are regularly used by students recovering from injury or surgery.
Can I extend my stay once I am there?
Yes, subject to room availability. Many one-week students extend to two or three weeks after the first Evaluation Day. Extending is charged at the per-day rate for your room type.