We often see Zhang Sanfeng in novels or film and television dramas. He seems to be a character in mythology. In fact, Zhang Sanfeng did exist in history. The movie " Tai Chi Zhang Sanfeng " starring Jet Li tells that Zhang Sanfeng lived in the late Ming Dynasty . This is an obvious mistake. Zhang Sanfeng was born in the Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty.
On the ninth day of April in the second year of Emperor Dingzong of Mongolia (1247), at the home of Zhang Zhongan in Tayingzi Village, Yizhou, Liaodong (now Fuxin Mongolian Autonomous County, Liaoning Province), his pregnant wife Lin suddenly woke up from her dream. She told The husband dreamed that a big white crane flew to his home. At this moment, Mrs. Lin suddenly felt abdominal pain and the baby was about to be delivered, so Zhang Zhongan went to find the midwife. After a while, there was a cry of a baby, and a white and fat little boy was born. So Zhang Zhongan named the child Zhang Quanyi , and his mother Lin gave him a nickname, Junbao. The couple had four children before, but all of them died in infancy, so they cherished Zhang Junbao even more.
Zhang Junbao has been smart since he was a child and is familiar with Confucian classics. When he was five years old, due to an eye disease, his parents invited Zhang Yun'an, a Taoist priest who knew medical skills. After Zhang Yun'an cured Zhang Junbao's eye disease, he thought the child was extraordinary and strongly requested to accept him as his disciple. When Zhang Junbao's parents heard that the Taoist priest said that their son was extraordinary, they readily agreed.
In this way, Zhang Junbao followed Zhang Yun'an to practice Taoism. But when Zhang Sanfeng grew up, his parents asked him to obtain academic status, so Zhang Sanfeng went home to study Confucianism. After achieving academic success, he was appointed as the Boling Order of Zhongshan in the first year of Yuan Dynasty (1264).
After his parents passed away, he became a Taoist priest and took the Taoist name "Sanfeng". What does "Sanfeng" mean? "三" means three unbroken horizontal lines, which means the Qian hexagram; "Feng" means three broken horizontal lines, which means the Kun hexagram. "Sanfeng" is the universe, heaven and earth, and the universe. Therefore, it is wrong for some people to write the word "feng" in "Sanfeng" as "feng".
So Zhang Sanfeng began to travel around, studying literature and martial arts, and visiting experts. In the first year of Yuan Taiding (1324), he went to Wudang Mountain and devoted himself to practicing, founded the Wudang School of martial arts, invented Tai Chi , and recruited many disciples.
After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Sanfeng missed the Yuan Dynasty very much and always called himself "The Great Yuan Yi Lao". All the articles and letters he wrote were signed "The Great Yuan Yi Lao". For example, in his "Postscript to the Imperial Edict of Feng Tong Wei Xian Hua Zhenren": "Since ancient times, those who have been called Zhenzhen must express their true energy, have true inner connotations, enter with true exercises, and come out with true principles. By practicing them, they can obtain the true way... Isn't that not true? God solemnly decreed that he was not willing to let bandits roam the world, so why should he silently reduce his reputation? "The Great Yuan Dynasty's Relic, Taoist Sanfeng" wrote. At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang sent people to Wudang Mountain to ask Zhang Sanfeng to come down and contribute to the Ming Dynasty. Zhang Sanfeng was very dissatisfied with Zhu Yuanzhang's actions and decided to become the successor of the Yuan Dynasty. So he and Zhu Yuanzhang started to hide and seek. They sent people to Wudang Mountain several times but could not find him and disappeared mysteriously. But there are rumors that he is still alive and has been in Wudang Mountain.
When Zhu Di became emperor, he sent people to Wudang Mountain to look for Zhang Sanfeng, but still could not find him. So they sent people to build the Zhenwu Hall in Wudang Mountain to worship Emperor Zhenwu, and named Wudang Mountain the "Great Mountain", which was higher than the Five Mountains. The Taoist priests of Wudang Mountain were highly respected.
The whereabouts of Zhang Sanfeng has always been a mystery. According to folklore, he lived to be more than 200 years old. Some even rumored that he was still alive in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. The reason why and in the Qing Dynasty could dominate the world was because of Zhang Sanfeng's guidance.
