Inverness kung fu school take part in major event held in China
AN Inverness kung fu school took part in an international martial arts event in China.
Yee's Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy joined practitioners of different schools and lineages from all over the world as they attended the grand opening and founding of the Grandmaster Tang Fong Memorial Hall.
It took place at the Yee’s Hung Ga International Kung Fu Association in Taishan, Guangdong province, China.
Five major lineages descended from Grandmaster Tang Fong were present. Yuen Ling Lineage, Ho Lap Tin Lineage, Chau Wing Tak Lineage, Pan Yuhe Lineage, Tang Yuen Sau lineage as well as Chinese Government representatives and officials of the Tang Family Hall.
In 2018, the Tang Family Hall was saved from demolition when practitioners of the lineages gathered together to perform and show the historical and cultural importance of the building.
Because of this gathering, the Chinese government not only overturned their decision to demolish the hall but actually donated money towards it’s restoration. It has now been turned into a museum for all people named “Tang”.
There was still no place for the lineages to honour their grandmaster, however. After many attempts to place a statue in the Tang Family hall, the permission was not granted. A space was finally created within the Yee’s Hung Ga headquarters in Taishan China, which honours all the practitioners and lineages descended from great grandmaster Tang Fong.
Grandmaster Frank Yee, from the Yee’s Hung Ga International Kung Fu Association, worked tirelessly for months to make the event a reality.
It began with the arrival of the practitioners from across the world. It followed by a red ribbon-cutting ceremony by head representatives of the lineage, including Inverness. A statue dedication ceremony took place, followed by a ceremony to honour the ancestors.
It concluded with a dinner of more than 200 practitioners, demonstrating their similarities in the art which descended from the great martial arts Grandmaster, Tang Fong.
The chief instructor of the Inverness branch, Sifu Simon Hepple, said, “It was an incredible experience to be part of such an historic occasion. We also visited some of the famous landmarks and temples in Beijing, Guangzhou and Taishan.”
He added, “The event was just huge, the scale of it, I may never see again. It was so well thought out and prepared. For that, I have Grandmaster Frank Yee to thank for all his hard work and effort. It was like being in a movie, everywhere you looked were famous kung fu masters from every corner of the world.”