Editor note: This is the 3rd part of Sifu’s 2012 Kung Fu trip to Cangzhou. The highlight of this story is certainly the connection to Hui Muslims and their significant contribution to preserving Chinese martial arts.

April 5th, Cangzhou City, Qingyun Town

We boarded the high-speed train from Beijing South Railway Station to Cangzhou West Station, covering 210 kilometers in only 58 minutes. Cangzhou West Station is conveniently located a short distance from the city, and a 10-minute taxi ride brought us to the Minzu Guesthouse, our chosen accommodation. The guesthouse, a three-star hotel, is where Master Zhu always stays when visiting Cangzhou. Clean and well-maintained, it offers halal meals catering to the local Hui Muslim population, adding a distinct regional flavor.

Cangzhou is home to hundreds of thousands of Hui Muslims, accounting for roughly one-third of Hebei Province’s Hui population. The guesthouse is specifically designed for hosting foreign visitors, and its reception area includes travel brochures highlighting Cangzhou’s reputation as the "Hometown of Martial Arts." The area has nearly 40 martial arts schools, including well-known styles such as Liuhe Quan, Pigua Quan, Yanqing, Chaquan, Erlang Tongbei, and Bajiquan.

*Quan means fist, but can also mean style

On this day, we planned to visit Zuo Village in Yanshan County and Qingyun Town, two locations deeply connected to Piguaquan and Bajiquan traditions.

The Journey to Qingyun Town

Qingyun Town lies about 130 kilometers from Cangzhou City, and the drive there takes about 90 minutes. As we traveled through the countryside, the landscape unfolded into a serene expanse of farmland and small villages. Across the plains, we noticed scattered mounds of earth, which we later learned were traditional burial sites for local residents. The simplicity of the rural homes, built along winding paths, felt timeless. Rows of sparsely planted trees lined the fields, their presence accentuating the vastness of the land under the bright blue sky.

The scenery evoked a sense of calm and wonder, a reminder of how history and tradition remain deeply rooted in this land. In the car, Master Zhu shared stories of Cangzhou’s rich martial arts heritage, linking the landscape we saw to the legends of the past.

As we passed Jiuzhou, Master Zhu recounted the story of Li Yunbiao, a master of the Piguaquan style during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. When Nian rebels attacked Yanshan City, Li Yunbiao defended the city with his disciples and fellow villagers. In the first assault, they successfully repelled the rebels, but a second wave of cavalry overwhelmed them. Li Yunbiao fought valiantly but ultimately died in battle, his blood spilt on the sand in defence of his home. His sacrifice was immortalised through the building of a Temple of Loyalty and Righteousness, a space dedicated to honouring his memory and heroism.

Master Zhu also spoke of Li Dazhong, a sworn brother of Li Yunbiao and a master of Bajiquan. During the fall of Yanshan City, Li Dazhong fought his way through a sea of enemies, using his spear to vault over the city wall despite an injury to his leg. He escaped the carnage and lived to continue the Bajiquan tradition. These stories, recorded in the Cangzhou County Annals, illustrate the courage and perseverance of the martial artists who shaped the region’s history.

We soon reached Wulongtang Township, another place tied to Li Dazhong’s legacy. Master Zhu told us how, at the age of 60, Li Dazhong faced a duel with a martial artist from another region. They fought fiercely in Wulongtang, and neither gained an advantage for a long time. Finally, Li used a spear technique called “Cat Catches Mouse” and accidentally injured his opponent’s eye. Although victorious, Li deeply regretted causing harm and carried that regret for the rest of his life.

Arriving in Qingyun Town

After an engaging journey filled with stories and history, we arrived in Qingyun Town, a peaceful settlement beside the Zhangwei New River. On the other side of the river lies Dezhou in Shandong Province. Historically, during the Ming Dynasty, Qingyun was part of Shandong, but it was reassigned to Cangzhou in the Qing Dynasty.

Qingyun is significant in martial arts history because it is closely tied to Wu Zhong, the founder of Bajiquan. According to the old martial arts records of both the Li Dazhong and Qiang Ruiqing families, Wu Zhong was originally from Houkezhuang, a village near Qingyun. Houkezhuang still exists today, and it is only a 40-minute drive from Qingyun along the river. Unfortunately, our tight schedule prevented us from visiting, but knowing we were so close to this historic site added a special meaning to our trip.

In Qingyun, we visited the Taishan Xinggong Temple, a quiet retreat that offered a moment for reflection. Its architecture and serene surroundings felt like a window into the past. After a short stroll through the town, we set off for Zuo Village in Yanshan County, where we would meet Master Zuo and continue our exploration of Cangzhou’s martial arts legacy.

騎走滄州之三

四月五日，滄州市·慶雲鎮

由北京南站乘坐高鐵至滄州西站，全程 210 公里，只需 58 分鐘便到達。滄州西站距離市區不遠，乘的士約 10 多分鐘即可抵達市中心及我們下榻的旅館——民族會館。這是一家三星級旅館，每次祝師到訪滄州都會選擇入住此地，因為地方整潔乾淨，並提供回族特色的清真餐飲，頗具地方風情。

滄州是河北省回族聚居的重要地區，擁有數十萬回族人口，占全省回族人口約三分之一。這家旅館專為外賓設計，接待處還備有一些旅遊小冊子，特別提到滄州是著名的武術之鄉。滄州武術歷史悠久，據統計，有近 40 個武術門派，其中著名的包括六合門、劈掛門、燕青門、查拳門、二郎門、通臂門及八極門等。當天，我們計劃前往鹽山縣左莊與慶雲鎮，這兩地在歷史上與劈掛門和八極門有著密切的淵源。

前往慶雲鎮的路上

慶雲鎮距離滄州市約 130 公里，乘的士需約 1.5 小時才能到達。沿途經過許多小村落與農田，廣闊的平原上偶爾可以看到一些零散的土丘。後來我們才知道，這些是當地居民的土墳。車窗外，還能看到一些簡樸的平房，沿著田間小路依次排列，一排排的小樹散落在田野之間，為這片大地增添幾分生氣。

凝望著這片廣闊無垠的土地，在蔚藍的天空之下，既顯得古老又寧謐。這種景象讓我們不禁心生神往。在車上，祝師向我們講解了一些與滄州武術有關的故事。

當我們經過舊州時，祝師提到清朝同治年間，捻軍攻打鹽山城的故事。當時，劈掛門的祖師李雲表率領徒眾與鄉親奮力抵抗敵軍。雖然第一次成功擊退捻軍的進攻，但在第二次面對捻軍騎兵的猛烈衝擊時，最終壯烈犧牲。為紀念李雲表的英勇事蹟，當地特地建了一座忠義祠。

祝師還提到，當鹽山城破之時，八極門的李大忠與李雲表是結拜兄弟。李大忠手持長槍，在千軍萬馬中奮力殺出重圍。即便腿部受傷，仍然成功逃脫。這些事跡在《滄州縣志》中均有記載。

仵龍堂的比武故事

離開舊州後，我們經過了仵龍堂鄉。據祝師所言，李大忠 60 歲時，曾與一名外地高手在仵龍堂鄉比武。兩人鬥了許久，難分高下。最終，李大忠使用槍法招式「狸貓捕鼠」，不慎傷到對方的一隻眼睛。這次比武雖然技術高超，但李大忠對無意間傷人一事感到深深遺憾，這也成為了他一生的憾事。

抵達慶雲鎮

不知不覺間，我們已抵達慶雲鎮。這座小鎮坐落於漳衛新河旁，河的另一側便是山東省的德州地界。在明朝時，慶雲鎮屬於山東，直至清朝才劃入滄州。

根據八極門李大忠家族和強瑞清家族的老拳譜記載，八極門的開創者吳鍾正是山東慶雲後科莊人。後科莊至今仍然存在，從慶雲鎮沿著漳衛新河行車約 40 分鐘即可抵達。可惜由於當天行程緊湊，我們未能成行。

下午，我們還需前往鹽山的小左莊拜訪左師爺。因此，在簡單遊覽了泰山行宮後，我們在鎮上稍作閒逛，隨即啟程前往鹽山。

Arriving at Cangzhou - (Part 3)