Wang Desheng

Wang Desheng, a native of Laoxiwan, Xiangyang, Hubei Province, was a Taoist priest in Wudang during the later years of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (approximately 1785-1795 AD). According to the origin records of the "Wudang Shengong Tai Chi Chuan" school that is currently circulating in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province: During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Desheng became a monk on Wudang Mountain and learned the Wudang Mountain Protection Fist "Shengong Tai Chi Chuan" after becoming a disciple. After achieving success, on the fourth day of the third lunar month in the first year of the Jiaqing reign (1796 AD), he went to his hometown and assisted his cousin Wang Cong 'er in launching the White Lotus Rebellion in Huanglong, Xiangyang. He served as the commander-in-chief of the shopkeeper. In the following three years, he followed Wang Cong 'er into Henan, passed through Shaanxi, and entered Sichuan. In Dazhou (now Daxian County, Sichuan Province), he joined forces with Xu Tiande's rebel army. The rebel army crossed the Han River and entered Shaanxi to attack Xi 'an. Despite repeated attempts, they failed and returned to Hubei. When passing through the Yunxi border area where the western part of Wudang Mountain meets Baihe County, Shaanxi Province, it was surrounded by the Qing army. Outnumbered, Wang Cong 'er handed over the banner and seal of the rebel army to Wang Desheng and led her personal female generals to fight to the death through the encirclement. Unexpectedly surrounded by the Qing army and unable to escape, he was forced to the cliff and jumped off the rock to die. Wang Desheng, relying on his superb martial arts skills, broke through the encirclement alone. When the Qing soldiers learned that he was an important leader of the rebel army, they pursued him with all their might. When he reached the Han River, Wang Desheng, relying on his excellent swimming skills, jumped into the surging current and grabbed a boat carrying a coffin coming down from upstream. The kind-hearted boatman hid him inside the coffin. When the ship reached the shore, Qing soldiers boarded it to search for it. Just as the lid of the coffin was lifted, a row of darts flew out of it. Taking advantage of the Qing soldiers covering their faces and Shouting, Wang Desheng leaped out of the coffin, climbed up the river rock, targeted a Qing soldier on horseback, and used his flying whip to knock him off the horse. Then he jumped onto the horse and fled at full speed. Wang Desheng fled back to Xiangyang in one go and did not dare to return home. So he hid at the residence of Jiang Taigong in Laoxiwan and changed his name to Wang Yanshen. Not long after, he became the son-in-law of the Jiang family and settled here. To avoid exposing his identity and bringing disaster upon himself, Wang Desheng kept his skills to himself for decades, not even revealing them to his relatives. It was not until his grandson grew up and the White Lotus Rebellion had long been a thing of the past that Wang Desheng carefully passed on the unique skills of Wudang to his grandson. Later, the Wang family regarded Wang Yanshen's "intergenerational transmission" as a family rule and carried it down. During the late Qing Dynasty, Wang Yanchun, a descendant of the Wang family, was appointed as the captain of the inspection team by Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Hubei and Hunan, due to his outstanding martial arts skills. In his later years, he returned to his hometown and bestowed upon his grandson Wang Baoren. The Wang family has been practicing martial arts for generations, and they must Revere Zhang Sanfeng, the founding master of Wudang. Before each practice session, one must kowtow and burn incense in front of the altar of Zhang Sanfeng.