Chinese Legacy

Wushu (also known as Kungfu), fengshui, Taiji, Qigong, Chinese architecture, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Chinese massage, the lunar calendar and the Chinese zodiac are all parts of Chinese legacies.

Kungfu is often mistaken by the uninitiated to be simply a physical activity. However, it is far more than just a healthful exercise. Kung meaning discipline and Fu meaning person refers to a disciplined person. Shaolin Kungfu, which is one of the most famous forms of kungfu, originated in the Shaolin Temple on Mount Songshan at Dengfeng in Henan Province.

Feng means wind and breath and shui means water and blood. So fengshui means water is the blood and breath of the earth. According to fengshui, any process that is generative or productive produces good fortune. Destructive processes, naturally, produce bad luck. For example, a person born under the element of metal should not live in a house facing south, because south belongs to the element of fire, and fire melts metal in the destructive order of the elements. A good direction for this person's house to face would be southwest, because southwest belongs to the element earth which harbors ores, and thus produces metal.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a medical system that has been used for thousands of years to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. It includes knowledge gathered over the centuries about herbs, nutrition, meditation, restorative physical exercise, massage, and acupuncture. In recent years, TCM has become popular in western countries.