Longfei Taijiquan Association of Great Britain

Longfei flies back to China
Longfei News Letters - Volume 5, Issue 3

In the Newsletter Issue 1, Vol. 5, I presented a diary. This was to mark the celebration and life of Li Tianji, China's Flying Dragon. In this issue I thought it appropriate to record the Longfei China trip in a similar format. The main reason is the opportunity to record the trip as a keep-sake for all those involved, something to reflect upon. "Taiji memorabilia" if you like.

The other reason, which is of far greater significance, is that it reflects a milestone in Longfei's development in the United Kingdom. It's been 15 years since Richard Watson took on the mammoth task of not only promoting Chinese martial arts in England, but took on a new era of Taiji development and, more importantly, the promotion of the Li family with their great family history and skill.

Professor Li and Richard Watson at the Daxhaimen Restaurant

A testament to this task is that 15 years later (the year of the monkey), Richard and myself are taking 26 students who have all studied the Li family system directly with the both of us. Li Deyin and Richard worked together in the initiation of forms such as the 42 competition form being taught and spread throughout Britain in the early days up to the current time, as well as many other contemporary routines. My own feeling is that Richard is Britain's "Flying Dragon" and he is flying the flag for Longfei.

Touch Down - 4th April, 2004

The Longfei delegation touched down in China at 9.30am Beijing time on Sunday 4th of April 2004. Twenty eight teachers, students and Taijiquan enthusiasts including Richard and myself were met at the airport by Tarry and Faye and then ferried by coach to the Renmin Daxue University for a bite to eat. After our meal we went to the Friendship Hotel. Everyone checked in and retired to their room to rest and refresh.

After a relaxing afternoon the group assembled in the lobby where we were met by Professor Li Deyin and Mrs Li. The evening meal was exceptional. Many people were surprised at the quality and quantity of the food. Professor Li, Richard and myself talked after dinner and he suggested a few minor adjustments to the schedule. Professor Li left shortly after we had finalised plans.

Some of the group retired early, whilst the rest of the group went to the bar for a night cap. The long journey was beginning to take its toll so I headed off to bed. On reflection the flight had been excellent. The whole trip so far had very few problems; everybody seemed happy and were looking forward to tomorrow.

I poured Richard and myself a well deserved night cap, care of duty free back in old Blighty, and turned the TV on to catch up on some local news.

Watching China's CCTV proved very interesting. Not only was 04/04/04 significant to Longfei's growth in Britain, it was a very important time in the Chinese calendar. Today, China will honour its ancestors with a state-level celebration. China was to honour The Yellow Emperor (Wang Di), the legendary father of China's civilisation. Three thousand people from home and abroad gathered at the Huang Di Mausoleum in Shanxi to pay tribute to Wang Di. Wang Di is attributed with the creation of Chinese medicine, calligraphy and music and is called the Yellow Emperor because of the colour of the soil. A great end to a great day.

I'll drink to that - CHEERS!

Tiananmen Square - 5th April, 2004

Awoke early, looked at the clock: 5.30am. Got up, made tea for Richard and myself. Went down to breakfast in the hotel. The food was fantastic, everything from Asian to European food. Some of us met a local Taiji group practising in the grounds of our hotel and arranged to meet up with them the following morning for a practice session. Once again it was time to congregate in the hotel lobby.

We all got on the coach; first stop Tiananmen Square which stands in front of the Forbidden City, facing south. Tiananmen means "Heavenly Peace" and is located north of the square. Built in 1417 it was enlarged to 100 acres in 1949. Its flatness is broken only by the 100 foot high monument to the people's hero and Mao Zedong's mausoleum.

Next stop was the Forbidden City. This stands in the centre of Beijing. It is protected by high walls and a moat on all four sides and consists of dozens of halls and courtyards. The emperors of two dynasties, the Ming and the Ching, lived with their families and hundreds of court ladies and palace eunuchs. In Chinese the Forbidden City is called the Purple Forbidden City. Purple doesn't refer to the colour of the building or walls, but has a mythological origin. It is said that the Emperor of Heaven has his palaces in the region of the North Star, of which purple is a symbolic colour.

Professor Li leads the 88 in the People University Gym.

The abode of the temporal emperor therefore, is supposed to have the same colour. The Purple Forbidden City was inaccessible to the common people and even the highest civil and military officers could not enter it without good reason.

After a busy morning sightseeing we arrived back at the hotel feeling jaded but definitely exhilarated by all we had seen. After a short time to freshen up we were off again. This time it was the welcome party which was being held at the Renmin Daxue. We all arrived at 6.30pm. The welcome party was attended by Professor Li and Mrs Li. Professor Li, although now retired, was head of Renmin physical education department for 36 years. His opening speech welcomed the Longfei delegation and praised Richard's efforts in the promotion of Chinese martial arts in Great Britain. I felt very proud.

Also present was the new head of physical education who has taken Professor Li's position, Professor Bai. After Professor Li's touching speech, Professor Bai acknowledged Richard's support and enthusiasm for Chinese Wushu.

Disciples of the late Li Tianji were also present, including Master Lui Qing Zhou, Master Zhong Guan Yau and Master Li Li Gong. Hu Xiao Fei, associate professor of the Beijing University of Physical Education (Wushu Department), also attended. Professor Li's promotion company chairman Tian Su Xie sponsored the evening and gave everyone a present of professor Li's lastest DVD, the Xiyangmei Taiji Gong Fu Shan (Fan).

International sports TV and radio Wushu correspondent and journalist Wang You Tang and Health Post correspondent Gang Yi were also present. Master Lui's son, Lui Lian You and Guo Xiao Guan, captain of the Renmin Wushu team, were also among the distinguished guests. Speeches were made by many of the hosts then finally Richard made a speech to thank everyone involved.

I'm beginning to realise that this trip is a result of many years of hard work and dedication and marks a significant point of Longfei history in Britain. Richard's final remark in his speech was quite a poignant one: "We certainly have not got the skills and knowledge of the Chinese, but what we lack in ability we make up for in heart and spirit".

I'll drink to that.

The 4th Emperor of the Qing Dynasty - 6th April, 2004

Alarm went off at 6.00am. Made tea for the Colonel and after the usual drill headed down to breakfast. The weather was overcast and drizzly but nevertheless we met the Taiji lady outside as planned and practised for about half an hour.

Everybody assembled in the lobby and because of the inclement weather we jumped on the coach instead of walking to the Renmin University as originally intended. At the university we were met by Professor Li and Hu Xiao Fei. We were all very excited because this was our first day of training. Hu Xiao Fei visited England back in 1998 when he took a group through the Dao Yin Bao Jian Gong (General Health set), making several corrections, giving advice and also answering many interesting questions.

Emphasis was placed on mental focus, attention to internal detail and the purpose and function of each individual posture. This was an excellent class and an example of the extremely high quality of training we had to look forward to throughout the two weeks. The warm-up exercises were a new set called Qian Long Yang Sheng Shi. Qian Long was the 4th Emperor of the Qing dynasty who was reputed to have lived to the age of 89. All emperors who preceded him only lived to 49 - nearly half his age. Qian Long advocated that rubbing the ears, nose, face, stomach and eyes etc, would increase one's life. Because of his great age the following generations paid great importance to his words of wisdom and used his example to improve their own health

At lunch Professor Hu told me he had recently published the exercises in The Beijing Wushu Journal. He also gave Richard a copy of his book which included a DVD of the Eight Pieces of Brocade.

Delegates and guests at the reception dinner.

It was interesting to learn that this was one of the ancient sets of exercise that the sports council were using to promote their health system. The others included the Yi Ying Jin, the Five Animal Play and the Six Healing Sounds.

After lunch at the university we had a free afternoon, but Professor Li kindly arranged for the coach to take us over to the Beijing University of Physical Education. There was a Wushu shop just outside the university where you could buy anything from weapons to DVDs and training equipment. The trip is just beginning to warm up. In the evening we walked from the hotel to a local restaurant called The Nine Eagles. The cuisine was from Wu Han Province near the Yantzee river and the food was very different from previous meals. It made a pleasant change.

The Beijing Hotel - 7th April, 2004

Beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky, the climate was perfect. Met in the grounds of the hotel to practice with a few students. There was plenty of room around our hotel - Beijing Friendship Hotel is one of the largest garden-style hotels in Asia. Built in 1954, it covers an area of 335,000 square meters. Its style is of classic elegance with traditional Chinese architecture. The hotel offers a large variety of services including 26 restaurants, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a full range of amenities. After breakfast no time to lose, straight on to the coach and off to the Renmin. This morning we are working with Professor Li. Coach Meng led the warm-up exercises, then we split into two groups - one group went with coach Meng and the rest of us with Professor Li to do the 88 forms. It is not difficult to see why Professor Li is undoubtedly the most famous Taiji coach in China, if not the world. His ability to pass on and communicate the very essence of Taiji is not only inspirational but totally unique. Although Tarry's translation is excellent Professor Li can teach Taiji without - his body language and actions say it all!

Richard has been associated and learning from him for about 15 years. My own training with him has not been so long, but no matter how many times you work with the man, there is always so much more to learn. Today we reached posture No. 30: High Pat On Horse. It seems the more Taiji you learn the more there is to learn, it's never ending. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning's session which set the standard for the day. Wangfujing is our destination for the afternoon. Today, you can easily see traces of modernisation in many ways on Wangfujing Street. With its high level of commercial development, the 810 metre long row of stores includes shopping malls, skyscrapers, Wangu women's department store, new Dong-An market and a market for herbal medicine.

Just when we thought it could not get any better, we found ourselves in the opulence of the Beijing Hotel, one of the top 3 hotels in the city. The food was as you would expect from a five-star hotel. Everybody was overwhelmed. The buffet included everything you could imagine from sushi and delicate Chinese food to a European theme of nouvelle cuisine. Everyone on the trip could not believe their luck. Could the trip get any better?

I'll raise my glass to that. Good health.

The White Ape and The Fire God - 8th April, 2004

This morning we set off to the university for our final Dao Yin session. This was to be led once again by Professor Hu. The morning session was going to focus on the Heart Set of exercises created by Professor Zhang Guande. Before we began we revised the new set of exercises (Qian Long Yang Sheng Shi). We ran through the set twice and on the second time we performed it to music and took a video of the performance.

Professor Hu very kindly gave Richard a copy of the music so we could continue our practice at home. Once again we revised the Heart Set, corrections were made and technical detail was worked on. Another great session. Lunch was in the usual place.

Master Li Tianji with Sarah Grimes

In the afternoon we were given the opportunity to go to Silk Street market and The Friendship Stores to shop for gifts for family and friends. A fantastic time was had by all. Qianmen Hotel was our next stop, we were to eat there and then watch the Peking opera. The food was superb and the opera was amazing. The colourful costumes and music were mesmerising and the finalé the fight between the White Ape and the Fire God in the Empress' Peach Garden was spectacular.

A great end to a great day. We headed back to the hotel and popped into George's Bar for a well deserved night cap.

Bottoms Up.

Ting, Wha, Na, Fa, 9th April - 2004

I was starting to get over the jet lag and getting into the routine of rising at 6.00 am. I am glad I took some tea bags with me as I enjoyed a cup of tea in the morning. Off to Ren Min. Today was a continuation of the 88 forms. What was very interesting was that Professor Li led the first part of the session then introduced Master Lui to take the latter part. This allowed us the opportunity to witness the unique and subtle differences that both teachers emphasised. We were all very lucky to have this rare privilege.

Push Hands was next. Master Lui was a student of Li Tianji for 40 years and his speciality is pushing hands. He was senior Tui Shou coach to the Beijing push hands team. The basics of push hands were practised with emphasis on principles and technique. Ting, Wha, Na and Fa were discussed. Ting means to listen, Wha is to dissolve an incoming force (like the sun melting ice). Na is the ability to take control and Fa is the skill of discharging power. Professor Li paid special attention to three errors that must be corrected.

The first was to relax the waist and hips especially during transition and turning movements. Secondly, the coordination of hands and waist and the subtle difference between moving the hands too early or too late. Thirdly the importance of extension and openness and expressing this principle, particularly at the end of each posture, like a balloon being inflated. Back to the drawing board!.

Another brilliant day's training. In the afternoon we visited the Big Bell Temple (Dazhongsi). When first built in 1733, it was called the Temple of Righteous Awakening. It is said that Yao Guangxiao cast the bronze bell during the Yongle period.

"The Father of Modern Wushu" - 10th April, 2004

This morning we had to be up extra early to visit Purple Bamboo Park. The park is one of the seven largest parks in Beijing. It is situated at the southern end of Baishiqiao Road. A temple, known in the Ming Dynasty as the Temple of Longevity (Wanshousi), originally stood to the northwest of the lake. Here the Qing rulers built a lodging palace where they and their retinue could rest as they floated to the Summer Palace or the Jade Spring Mountain on the Changle River. Arriving at the park we found the Hadian Taijiquan group practising. They were students of Professor Li who practiced an array of Taiji routines, Yang, Wu Sun Chen, and also many displays of weapon play.

They made us very welcome and encouraged us to join them. We performed the short form and the 88 forms. Back to the hotel where we met Master Lui in the grounds for our daily push hands session. We worked in the shade because of the heat. In fact we found out that this was the hottest April in Beijing since 1949. The weather could not have been more idyllic.

The trip was going from strength to strength. Lunch was at the Daxhaimen Restaurant which is one of Beijing's most expensive and exclusive restaurants and was very much a highlight of the trip. Although the food has been exceptional by any standards, this restaurant and the food were exquisite. The restaurant, now owned by the Bai family, used to be a royal garden of the Qing Dynasty. The ancient style has been maintained. Beautiful rockeries, pavilions, terraces, verandas, ambulatories and water features add to the tranquill and spectacular setting. The food was magnificent!

Look! We climbed the Great Wall of China!

After lunch it was back on the coach to visit Grand Master Li Tianji's Tomb. This was an unexpected honour for everybody on the tour. Mrs Li had brought some flowers on behalf of the group. The whole group felt privileged and deeply touched that the Li family had been so generous and open and allowed us this unique opportunity to visit what is very sacred to the Li family. Li Tianji's tomb is a monument to the Li family and indeed the whole of Chinese culture, especially Wushu. It is a testament to the art of Internal Martial Arts.

To stand in front of this was deeply moving for all of us. Master Li's grandfather Li Yu Lin and his brother Li Tianqi are on the headstone. To the left is another stone which has the family tree on it and on the right the tablet has many of Li Tianji's students and supporters. Some of these include Master Lui, Wang Yanji, Bow Sim Mark (now residing in the USA), Mr Koyiki (from Japan) and Richard Watson. On the back it gave the history of the man they refer to as "The Father of Modern Wushu". The family history stretches back some 120 years of the Li martial arts culture and accredits Li Tianji with many accolades and achievements, such as the creation of the 24 forms Taijiquan, the 88 forms, the 66 forms, to mention a few and also his contribution to Xing Yi Quan, Bagau Zhang, Shaolin and Shui Jiao. A remarkable achievement and a wonderful privilege for us.

For myself, the day could not have possibly got any better.

From the training in the park, the fantastic lunch and now an opportunity to pay respects to Professor Li's uncle. But wait, the climax to the day was amazing.

Our next port of call was the Fragrant Hill Mountains which were spectacular. At the base of the mountains was the Fragrant Hill Hotel - five-star opulence at its best and the food was magnificent. Everybody on the trip was stunned by our host's fantastic choice and the treatment we were receiving. Fragrant Hill is west of Beijing and surrounded by beautiful mountains. It is said that the clothing of Sun Yet San (Father of China) are buried beneath the mountains. The mountain is also famous because Mao Zedong lived here during the battle of Beijing when it was the control centre during the nationalist fighting.

The Deyin Cup - 11th April, 2004

Today was to be a special day for the group. It was also a special day at the Renmin University. We assembled in the university's old gymnasium and not the usual venue for our daily training. This was the original gym where Richard trained on his visits in 1989/1990s. This hall was full of character and many of China's top Taiji players, Asian Games and World Champions would have been coached here by Professor Li Deyin. Today the place was alive and buzzing with Taiji players, teachers and their coaches.

The week after we leave there is to be a Taiji competition for Taiji schools of the Hadian District of Beijing. This has been called the Deyin Cup (The Deyin Bei) in honour of Professor Li. Professor Li and Mrs Li have been residents of Hadian District for many years. This was to be a rehearsal for the competition on 27th April and our host knew it would be a great opportunity for the group to witness the range and variety of the many different styles of Taiji. After several hours of demonstrations we were invited to demonstrate the 24 Taiji before the assembled Taiji players and experts. We were all nervous at the proposition but all 26 of us kept in good time and looked coordinated in our Longfei Taiji shirts.

The performance even evoked spontaneous applause when we all managed to execute the first heel kick in unison. The applause was very reassuring and made us feel comfortable and at home.

After lunch we travelled to the Beijing antique market. The stalls and shops occupy 5,000 square meters and was established in 1992. It is an ideal place to find porcelain, jade, brass work, Chinese paintings and calligraphy. The market was full of atmosphere and characters; the general idea was to aim to buy at a price 40-50% lower than the asking price and trust in Buddha that you had secured a bargain!

The evening meal was to be in a restaurant quite close and within walking distance from our hotel. Everyone was pleased to hear we would be sampling Peking duck. The restaurant served food of the Gou Lin style (family style).

The Summer Palace - 12th April, 2004

For the past six mornings we trained for three hours each day. Today we will take a full day to relax. This does not mean a free day as we are to visit the Summer Palace. It would take several days to enjoy fully all that the palace has to offer the tourist. This is one of China's best preserved imperial palaces and is located in the northwest suburbs of Beijing. It is said to house 40,000 cultural relics and consists mainly of Wanshou (Longevity Hill) and Kumming Lake. Other attractions include the Long Corridor, the Marble Boat, the Temple of Buddhist Virtue and the Dragon King Temple. Its history dates back over 800 years. Early in the Jin Dynasty an imperial palace called the Golden Hill Palace was built on the present site of the Summer Palace.

Professor Hu Xiao Fei with the Daoyin Group

The gardens were burned and vandalised by British and French troops in 1860. Restoration took place between 1885-1895. Emperor Qian Long of the Qing Dynasty built the Garden of Clear Ripples in 1750 and renamed the hill Longevity Hill, to celebrate his mother's birthday. During our visit we ate lunch in the restuarant of the Summer Palace which is my personal favourite tourist attraction in Beijing.

In the late afternoon we returned to the university. Professor Li De Yin had arranged a special performance by the university's Wushu team. This was to be a stunning array of Wushu forms that included Taijiquan, Chang Quan (Long Fist), Nan Quan (Southern Fist), Xing Yi Quan and Tong Bei Quan. Many weapons were also demonstrated, including Double Broad Swords, Double Straight Swords, Kuan Dao, Cudgel, Whip Chain as well as Two Person Sparring. Our group has never seen such a spectacular array of martial arts before. After dinner in the hotel Professor Li and Professor Hu Xiao Fei came by to join Richard and myself to discuss the progress of our trip and exchange views on various aspects of martial arts and Qigong.

The Dancing Girls - 13th April, 2004

We lunched in the university after our three hours training on the 88 and 24 forms. Our afternoon visit was to the Temple of Heaven; this amazing complex is a perfect fusion of art and architecture and it was the most impressive imperial temple of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Originally its three roofs were blue, yellow and green. After the renovation in 1751 they were all changed to blue to symbolise the colour of the sky. This decision had a political undertone in terms of the unification of the country.

Back on the coach for our evening meal. This evening we are to visit the Daijiacun restaurant specialising in cuisine from the village of Dai in south-west China where the climate is very humid.

The food from this area is spicy in flavour to help reduce dampness in the body. Our host's attention to detail, selection of restaurants, great hospitality is quite fantastic. Every restaurant has been quite unique in atmosphere and cuisine and this one was to prove no exception. The waiters and waitresses were all dressed in traditional costumes. I assumed these to be from the area of Dai in the south-west. Traditional dances took place on stage throughout the meal and the audience were invited on stage to take part. Our party were not shy of taking part. All-in-all a great night of fun.

The Great Wall of China - 14th April, 2004

For many of the group today was to be a major highlight as we were to visit The Great Wall, one of the great inspirations of mankind. What can one say. The wall is truly spectacular, commissioned over 2,000 years ago by Qin Shi Huangdi, China's first emperor of the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC). The wall is called "Wan-Li-Qang-Qeng" - the 10,000-Li Wall (10,000 Li = approx. 5,000 Km). After subjugating and uniting the 7 warring states, the emperor connected and extended four old fortification walls along the north of China that originated around 700 BC. Armies were stationed along the wall as a first line of defence against the invading nomadic Hsiung Nu tribes (the Huns) from the north of China.

The wall stretches across the mountains of north China, winding north and north-west of Beijing. It is the largest building construction project ever completed. It is constructed from masonry, rocks and packed earth with its thickness ranging from 4.5 to 9 meters and 7.5 meters at its high points.

We visited three other tourist attractions during our day out. The first was a jade factory, the second a visit to a traditional Chinese medicine centre producing pharmaceuticals and herbs for TCM. Many of our group were given the opportunity to have their pulse taken by Chinese doctors. Pulse reading is of course a major guide to diagnosis in TCM. There is a Chinese saying that claims jade and medicine are two of the world's greatest treasures.

As the afternoon arrived we were on our way to the Ming tombs, next stop the thirteen tombs of the Ming dynasty. These stand on an arc-shaped cluster of hills 50 km north-west of Beijing. Here marks the burial place of the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Construction of the tombs began in 1409 and ended with the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644. For over 200 years the tombs were built over an area of 40 square kilometres. Each tomb is located at the foot of a separate hill and is linked with the other tombs by a road called the sacred way.

Practicing the 88 in the university grounds

The day was rounded off with a meal at the Sheng Shi L'er Yuan, a restaurant serving food with a Brazilian accent. There was entertainment here that came from a Chinese saxophonist playing western jazz who received a great response from our group. It was appreciated by all and some of the group joined in the vocals with Tarry leading off with a boogie and the Longfei "come dancing group". This turned out to be a very special evening enjoyed by all. It was rumoured that the manager asked if we could return the following evening. For sure the musician had never before experienced such an appreciative audience.

Masatoshi Nakayama Japanese Karate Master - 15th April, 2004

In the morning my father and I met up with Sarah Grimes. Sarah is working as an editor at the foreign language press. Her work in the past year has included the editing of the translation of Professor Li Deyin's first book into English. She had knowledge of Richard and I because we are mentioned in the text. We look forward to seeing the book as it covers the work of Professor Li, Master Li Tianji and his father Master Li Yulin.

Sarah met Li Tianji through her karate teacher, the late Masatoshi Nakayama (1913-1987). Subsequently she began her study of Taijiquan with teachers from the Beijing Physical Education College. This training has continued for 20 years. She had previously studied for 10 years with Master Nakayama, an internationally recognised karate master who was a close friend of Li Tianji. She told us they worked together to bring Taijiquan to Japan.

Nakayama was Chief Instructor to the Japan Karate Association and emphasised Taijiquan and said we must never forget the internal aspect of martial arts. In our conversation about Professor Li and Master Li Tianji she made the following observation: "The Li family have Big Minds".

After breakfast we continued our training on the 88, 24 and pushing hands and Professor Li spent some time explaining the theory and application of "Grasp Sparrow's Tail".

The afternoon was to be spent visiting the Gu Lou Temple (Drum Tower) and the Hu Tongs (narrow lanes). The Drum Tower was first on the agenda. If my memory serves me well, it houses 24 drums of various sizes - from large to massive.

The drums are all placed on their sides, so the drummer would face the playing surface rather than look down on it. These amazing ancient drums were the method of communcating the time to the populace (Chinese Big Ben) of Beijing.

They were beaten to a varying tempo every 15 minutes throughout the day. We arrived on the half hour and were urged to move swiftly to the top of the tower. This involved climbing 74 steps with rises of some 14 inches. The climb was almost as exhausting as The Great Wall. We had a great demonstration from the drumming team and it was quite an experience.

However, this was not the end of our Drum Tower venture as Khoji asked if he could beat the drums and after some consideration (and the greasing of some palms!) he was allowed to do so. Although the group were not aware of Khoji's drumming prowess he proved equal to the locals. Indeed I noticed that the drumming team came out to listen to his performance. I think he will cherish the honour for some years to come.

Next on the programme was a tour of the Hu Tongs and the local market on transport supplied by the local bicycle rickshaw company. A fleet of identical rickshaws transported us around this fascinating area of Beijing, steeped in old world (Chinese) charm. We were to learn many fascinating details of this culture from our student guides as our convoy weaved its way through the quaint alleys.

The highlight of this trip was an invitation into a family dwelling in the Hu Tongs. We entered into a quadrangle which appeared to be the garden for several homes to the north, south, east and west. Our group split into two and entered two houses with our guides. We were introduced to the lady of the house and our guide outlined her life and the history of the family. Fascinating stuff!

We were taken through the house and finished in the dining room where we ate a sumptuous banquet prepared by the family. After the meal we retired again to the courtyard where you could imagine the residents of old practising their Taiji.

The food and welcome from Madame Zhang was superb, her neighbour came out to show us his pet fighting crickets. It is impos-sible to record the fullness of this adventure in the form of a diary. Some members of the group remarked that it was very special. What a great idea to retain these attractions for the tourist.

Until the Next Time - 16th April, 2004

Today is the penultimate day and starts with our last trip to the university for the 24, 88 and pushing hands. We did not lunch in the university so this was the last time we would see Master Liu and his son. Master Liu lives on the other side of Beijing and would not be back for our farewell dinner this evening. Lunch was taken at the Sukhotai Imperial Thai restaurant - a great choice as the food was excellent. After the meal Richard thanked Master Liu and his son for his expertise in our training of the 88 and pushing hands skills. Master Liu responded with a wonderful farewell speech.

After the meal the group went their invididual ways for the afternoon, some to do their packing, others took off to Wangfujing for last-minute shopping for gifts and keepsakes.

In the evening we returned to the hotel for our farewell meal attended by coach Meng and the university's Wushu Captain. We relaxed with a few beers and enjoyed another great meal. All the food in the Friendship Hotel as been first class. Richard and Professor Li made their farewell speeches and sadly it was all over. Here's to the next time.

GAMBEI !!!

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