Did Zhang Sanfeng really live hundreds of years?

In film and television dramas, Zhang Sanfeng can be said to be a master-level figure. Whether it is himself, his apprentice Wudang Seven Heroes, or his apprentice Zhang Wuji, they all occupy a place in the world of Chinese martial arts novels. There are countless TV series and movies starring him.

The image of Zhang Sanfeng to people is already equivalent to that of a half-immortal. With white beard and white hair, immortal style and superb martial arts, he was the founder of Wudang Sect and realized Tai Chi... So, did Zhang Sanfeng really exist in history? Why is his legend so widely circulated and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people?

There is indeed a person named Zhang Sanfeng in history. His real name is Zhang Junbao, with the character Yuan and the Taoist name Sanfeng. Alias: Zhang Yi, Zhang Slutty, Zhang Wuxuan, Zhang Xuanxuan, Hao Xian, etc. He was the supreme martial artist in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, the ancestor of Nei Quan, the ancestor of Tai Chi, the master of martial arts, and the ancestor of Long Xing calligraphy. He knows a lot and is famous. Such a long list of titles is largely due to his extremely long life. Others have become a handful of dirt, but he is still studying in various fields; others have become the past, but he is still alive in the world... Not only among the people, even the emperor in the palace also respects him very much.

Zhang Sanfeng founded Wudang, which became as famous as Shaolin for thousands of years and became a holy place of martial arts. Shaolin is based on Buddhism, has a wide range of disciples, has a large number of people, and has a long history. Wudang, on the other hand, relied on Taoism as its support, practiced purity and had few desires, found its own way, and was free and easy.

There are rumors that Zhang Sanfeng studied under Shaolin in his early years, so many Wudang Kung Fu techniques originated from Shaolin. This statement was asked by someone at the 2006 martial arts conference to the then head of Wudang. The leader said that Zhang Sanfeng has been traveling around the country and has indeed been to Shaolin. Not only Shaolin, he has been to almost all sects in the world. After all, in his long life, he traveled thousands of miles to gather the achievements of many sects. Therefore, Zhang Sanfeng's trip to Shaolin was also for exchange tourism, not to learn skills. It is not credible to say that Wudang Kung Fu originated from Shaolin.

The biggest legend about Zhang Sanfeng is his longevity. Some people say that he lived for more than 200 years, some say that he lived for more than 400 years, and some even say that he has become an immortal. As far as history is concerned, the year of his birth can be determined, but the year of his death is unknown, so his lifespan is a big question mark.

"History of the Ming Dynasty" records that Zhang Sanfeng was born in 1247 and died in 1458 at the age of 211. However, not long after the news of his death came out, some people refuted the rumors and said that they saw Zhang Sanfeng traveling around the world. Someone dug up the tomb and found that the tomb was empty. There was indeed no body of Zhang Sanfeng. In many historical works of the Qing Dynasty, we can also find content related to Zhang Sanfeng. Therefore, many people say that Zhang Sanfeng lived for at least 350 years.

However, regarding the fact that Zhang Sanfeng’s life span spanned several dynasties, there is another point that may be used as a reference: Zhang Sanfeng is not necessarily a person, they may be a group of people. Because Zhang Sanfeng is not a name, but a Taoist title.

In ancient times, there was more than one person named Sanfeng, and they were basically all Taoists. Principal Zhang of Today’s School pointed out: Anyone who understands Taoist thought knows that three represents Yang in Taoism and belongs to the Qian hexagram. Feng is interrupted by a vertical line in the middle, and the Qian hexagram becomes the Kun hexagram, which represents Yin. Therefore, the word Sanfeng represents the unity of heaven and earth and the changes of yin and yang. Many Taoists like to call themselves this Taoist name.

So Zhang Sanfeng can span many dynasties, and it may be because every dynasty has a Taoist named Zhang Sanfeng. People are confused about this name. Because after all, many people have heard of Zhang Sanfeng, but only a handful of people have actually seen him. The editor also agrees with this statement. After all, it is beyond cognition that humans can live for more than 200 years.