About Me
Master Shi Weimin Heir of a Millennium - Old Family Tradition Guide to the Modernization of Eastern Wisdom
Shi Weimin（史为民）, Taoist name: Cheng Song, family genealogy name: Zhang Zhimin. He is an inheritor of China’s intangible cultural heritage in traditional martial arts, a scholar of Taiji culture, and a practitioner of traditional Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist cultures.
Born into a martial arts family in Jiangsu Province, he began practicing martial arts from a young age. His family has a rich heritage in martial studies, including: three generations with seven jinshi (imperial scholars), one prefecture with two commanders-in-chief, four imperial bodyguards with swords, the emperor’s conferred title of the top martial scholar in Jiangnan, and two high-ranking officials serving as the governor of Guizhou and the governor of Guangxi. He has extensively studied various traditional martial arts.
Ancestor Zhang Liang
My ancestor Zhang Liang, the founding strategist of the Western Han Dynasty (3rd century BCE) and known as the “Teacher of Emperors,” was also the originator of this millennium – old Daoist wisdom. In his youth, Zhang Liang once encountered a Daoist elder dressed in a simple coarse robe, who deliberately dropped his shoes into a river and arrogantly demanded Zhang Liang retrieve them. Though initially taken aback and displeased, he controlled his emotions and complied. The elder then asked him to put the shoes on his own feet, and Zhang Liang knelt respectfully and obeyed. The elder laughed, departed, and later returned, praising him as “worthy of instruction” and arranged to meet him on a bridge five days later at dawn. On the first two days, Zhang Liang was late and reprimanded; on the third, he arrived in the middle of the night, demonstrating utmost sincerity and patience. This profound display of virtue deeply moved Huang Shigong, a revered master in Chinese Daoism, who entrusted him with a Daoist secret text. Huang Shigong advised that diligent study of the text could make Zhang Liang a sage capable of guiding emperors and establishing a nation within ten years.
Zhang Liang devoted himself to the study of this Daoist classic, mastering its core teachings of harmonizing with natural flow, self – cultivation, and strategic foresight. He successfully assisted the founding emperor of the Western Han Dynasty in unifying the empire. Yet, after achieving fame and power, Zhang Liang voluntarily renounced worldly honors and devoted himself to Daoist practices, embodying the Daoist principle of “greatness through softness, integrity through humility.” His life both achieved monumental success and safeguarded the family’s scholarly and spiritual lineage, ensuring its continuation.
Ancestor Zhang Jiuling
Centuries later, during the flourishing Tang Dynasty (7th century CE), the illustrious minister and literary master Zhang Jiuling, a direct descendant of Zhang Liang, further inherited and refined this family Daoist wisdom. He integrated its principles into governance, family conduct, and personal cultivation, demonstrating that Daoist wisdom is not idle philosophy but a practical path to personal well – being, societal harmony, and national prosperity.
Family Martial Heritage
My family also boasts a rich martial heritage. Among our ancestors are 38 martial scholars, 13 martial imperial examinees, 7 martial graduates, 4 imperial guards, 2 generals, and 2 provincial governors, including the notable Yangzhou cultural figure Zhang Liangui. Our lineage is celebrated in local history as “Three generations producing seven scholars, one prefecture and two generals.”
Personal Inheritance
I have personally inherited this tradition from an early age. I am a direct inheritor of the Wu Jinshi Fist (a non – material cultural heritage), a Wudang Chunyang Fist practitioner, and a Wu – style Tai Chi disciple. The Wudang Chunyang Fist, a secret Daoist martial art, has been passed down for over 1,400 years since its founding by the Daoist sage Lü Dongbin in the Tang Dynasty. The Wu Jinshi Fist has been preserved since the 16th century. I am adept in mind – body energy regulation, integrating martial practice with Daoist cultivation.
Achievements and Influence
I have served as a martial arts ambassador for the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration’s Asia – Pacific Communication Center and have published research on Daoist philosophy and martial arts in national academic journals. My work focuses on the global dissemination of traditional Chinese martial and Daoist culture.
I studied at one of China’s top universities—Huazhong University of Science and Technology, majoring in Computer Science—and later worked at IBM and in the banking sector. This combination of rigorous scientific training and global perspective informs my mission to promote Daoist culture worldwide. Through platforms like TikTok and independent channels, I have introduced Daoist martial arts and philosophy to tens of millions of international audiences.
Mission and Vision
Historically, elite families and Daoist masters preserved wisdom within inner circles, with knowledge passed secretly from master to disciple. My family has adhered to this tradition for centuries. Yet, witnessing modern individuals struggling in their health, careers, and family life, I have resolved to break this centuries – old barrier, sharing our family’s wisdom and authentic practices with the world.
My mission is to promote millennium – old Daoist family teachings and martial arts, nurturing body, mind, and spirit, and fostering cultural exchange through universally accessible martial arts. I integrate ancient Daoist wisdom with modern science to create programs suitable for both Eastern and Western audiences.
My vision is to cultivate 100 disciples over the next decade, benefiting ten million people, and to invite more individuals to China to study Daoism. I aim to make ancient Eastern wisdom a global choice for holistic well – being.
Hidden in plain sight, Daoist practice often remains nameless. I aspire to be the bridge between tradition and modernity, ensuring that two thousand years of Eastern wisdom help people lead sustainable, fulfilling lives in the contemporary world.
