Chen Village

Streaming video - 2009

When you first arrive at Chen village, you are struck by how unremarkable it is. Set in the remote countryside of central Henan, it appears to offer very little. That is until you check one fact. 3,000 people live in Chen Village. 2,500 practice Tai Chi Chuan. In China it is known simply as Taiji village. Although a poor village surrounded by farms, it is the birthplace of Tai Chi Chuan and one of the most significant locations in Martial Arts. “I’ve been here a long time now and I’ve met people from all over the world in this little village in the middle of Hunan, China” says Joseph, a student from the UK…”and they’ve all got something in common, they’re all interested in Tai Chi.” The Chen family, standard bearers of Che...n style for 400 years, continue to teach Tai Chi Chuan at the school in the center of the village. In this intimate journey to Chen village we discover how the present generations of the family have rescued the Chen style from obscurity and why every year thousands of Tai chi students from all over the world make the long pilgrimage to a small village. ”Training here improves your Tai Chi so much” says student Daryl from Seattle, “it’s like going to the source, back to the well where the water is sweeter.” Joseph adds “Just by being here you imbibe a lot of knowledge of Tai Chi because of the environment.” Running throughout the documentary is the backdrop of the school’s Tai Chi classes taught by the Chen family. As our journey unfolds, you will realize just how remarkable Chen village and its people really are.. more