As early as the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Mr. Sun Yat-sen's bodyguards were also martial arts masters. Sun Yat-sen found that these people were not only strong in martial arts, but also noble in character. This is also a major reason why the national government advocates martial arts training, and martial arts can be pushed to the height of 'national arts'.

The origin of martial arts can be traced back to primitive societies, flourished until modern times, and has been passed down in the form of national culture. In the era of cold weapons without guns and ammunition, martial arts gradually evolved from the original "survival tool" to "war tool", which also made the development of martial arts always have something to do with war.

As for why old Shanghai gathered so many martial arts masters, it has to start from the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China.

When the rulers of the Qing Dynasty were still dreaming of the Celestial Empire, a cannon shot completely shattered this dream. This war, dubbed "opium," not only exposed the weakness of the people, but also awakened a group of people who opened their eyes to the world.

At that time, the Chinese had always been called the "sick man of East Asia" by Westerners, which made many people dissatisfied, especially those who practiced martial arts. They believe that Chinese martial arts are enough to raise the prestige of our country.

Not only that, people of insight also believe that martial arts is China's excellent traditional culture and the inherent quintessence of our country. In the context of the "Theory of Salvation of the Country by Martial Arts", martial arts has risen from an ordinary technique to the height of "national art".

The times create heroes, and in this special period, a large number of martial arts masters have emerged, including many familiar masters. In this special era, they have gathered from all over the world to a special place - Shanghai.

As one of the earliest coastal cities to open up in modern times, Shanghai's "Ten Mile Ocean Field" gathers all kinds of people, which can be described as "Chinese and foreign giants, gathering here". Wealthy people will hire people with strong martial arts skills as bodyguards, and Ji Jinshan, who is famous for his Yuejia boxing, was once employed by the famous Xie company on the Shanghai beach.

In addition to being employed, there are also some wealthy martial arts families who have opened martial arts gyms in Shanghai to accept apprentices to practice martial arts. Huo Yuanjia is one of them. Huo Yuanjia was born in a secret fist family, and he practiced hard for ten years and got the essence. Huo Yuanjia is not from Shanghai, and he has not stayed in Shanghai for a long time, only more than a year, but he is a figure who cannot be ignored in the Shanghai martial arts world.

In 1909, a British Hercules named Opiyin came to Shanghai and set up a ring in Zhang Yuan, insulting the Chinese as the "sick man of East Asia." Huo Yuanjia should be invited by Shanghai martial arts friends to rush to Shanghai with Nong Jinsun and Liu Zhensheng to compete with Opiyin for the shame of the snow sick man.

In June of that year, Huo Yuanjia set up a ring in Zhang Yuan before the game. The ring was four feet high and about twenty feet wide. Huo Yuanjia published an advertisement in the newspaper, "The world ridicules our country as a sick man's country, and I am a sick man in the sick man's country, and I am willing to try it with the healthy people in the world", and declared: "Specializing in foreign strongmen, although they have copper muscles and iron bones, they have nothing to worry about!" ”

According to legend, on the day of the competition, Opiyin was so frightened that he fled. Although Opiyin did not appear, the ring was set up and the audience came. In order not to spoil everyone's interest, in the end this ring turned into a competition for Chinese martial arts practitioners. After that, Huo Yuanjia's fame spread all over Shanghai Tang.

On June 1 of the following year, Huo Yuanjia took advantage of the situation to establish the Jingwu Gymnastics School in Shanghai, which was the predecessor of the well-known Jingwu Sports Association. The first batch of students in the school totaled 73 people. However, soon after, Huo Yuanjia died mysteriously, and the most widely circulated theory is that he was poisoned to death by the Japanese. However, this statement has not been confirmed to this day, and it became a public case at that time.

Although Huo Yuanjia passed away, the Jingwu Sports Association did not disappear, and many students were recruited for a long time because of Huo Yuanjia's reputation. Mr. Sun Yat-sen praised Huo Yuanjia's belief that "if you want to make the country strong, everyone must practice martial arts", and once wrote down the "martial spirit" to give to the Jingwu Sports Association.

Shili Yangchang is also a "martial arts field". According to incomplete statistics, during the Republic of China, there were 38 martial arts organizations established in Shanghai, including the Jingwu Sports Association and the Chinese Wushu Association.

During the Republic of China, there were not a few masters like Huo Yuanjia. Martial arts groups supported by these masters also rose to the occasion.

In 1928, the Nationalist Government approved the establishment of the Central Guoshu Museum in Nanjing. In 1929, the Central Academy of Guoshu held the first Guoshu National Examination, which made martial arts practitioners excited, and gathered from all over the country to Nanjing to take the examination and show their skills.

When I arrived in Nanjing, it was not far from Shanghai. At that time, the transportation was inconvenient, and many martial arts practitioners had to go to Nanjing for several months, and since they arrived, they naturally had to stay for a while before leaving. I heard that Shanghai is very prosperous, and many people come to Shanghai after arriving in Nanjing.

At that time, there were not only many companies in Shanghai that needed bodyguards, but also many schools that recruited martial arts practitioners to teach. Many martial artists used to be just caretakers, but after coming to Shanghai, they entered schools to teach high-ranking officials and nobles to practice martial arts, and their quality of life suddenly improved by I don't know how many times.

Since they have lived a good life, many folk martial artists have stayed here and settled in Shanghai. Martial arts people gathered in Shanghai, and martial arts naturally flourished in Shanghai. At that time, the Tai Chi boxers came, the Bagua boxers came, the Shaolin boxers came, and everyone came to Shanghai and had a bite to eat.

The martial arts hall was originally a place for practicing martial arts and fitness. Before the Anti-Japanese War, there were more than 30 beaches in Shanghai. But as this adventurer's paradise flourished, so did it. However, except for the three or five families such as the Aiguo Church, which still adhered to their original purpose, most of the others became the people who supported the three lives, and smuggled and sold opium in armed arms for brothels and casinos...... Provide a black nest for thugs and bodyguards.

What these Chinese people have in common is that they all have a martial arts team, and they have to show off and show off during the New Year's holidays. As the saying goes: no wind and no waves, these people have to lift three feet without wind, and now since there is an appointment in advance, and there is a heavy color as bait, it is really a hungry ghost who touches and has a big roast chicken, and I can't wait to swallow it alone.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, all the armed forces took to the streets, and all kinds of flags fluttered in the wind, which was also quite good-looking! Where did that color come from? But there is a special one. Just like the Japanese martial arts team, the thirty-six big men are all tightly dressed and short, all of them are white, and even the guys in their hands are white, while the martial arts team in the French Concession is all purple...... At dusk, in addition to the Aiguo Hall, 29 Chinese and foreign martial arts teams came to the city center.

At this time, the people watching had already crowded the downstairs on both sides of the street, and the platforms and windows of the buildings on each floor were also crowded with the heads of black crows with their necks extended. The sound of gongs, drums, shells, firecrackers, cheers, and cheers...... It's really an idiot for the actors, crazy for the audience, and it's so dark.

When it gets dark, hundreds of "colored" ribbons along the entire street are all "swept away". When the excited people were about to disperse, suddenly in front of the ten-story Clark Building, hundreds of red and green lights lit up in an instant. On the roof of the building, the two large characters of "Sassoon" coiled with neon tubes are particularly conspicuous. People rushed there, but a few steps away from the building, they were stopped by two teams of men armed with plastic sticks, forming a wide open space.

In the middle of the empty space was a table of eight immortals made of shiny black rosewood, and there was nothing on the table, but under the nest was a large crystal clear glass jar. There is a colorful sculpture of Chang'e running to the moon in the clear water in the tank, especially the attraction is a huge crystal pearl held by Chang'e's hand, which is like a bright moon under the special set of lights, spitting out brilliance, very dazzling.

This Clark Building was built in 1928 in Gothic style. The exterior of the building is clad in granite, and the roof facing the Huangpu River, which is more than 19 meters high, is covered with corrugated copper skin. The fourth to ninth floors of the Clark Building are Chinachem Hotel, which has exotic suites in Chinese, British, American, French, German, Indian, Japanese, Italian and West Kowloon.