Maixishan
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Ninth-generation bearer of Xinyi Liuhe Quan. From childhood he was passionately devoted to the martial arts. From the age of eight, under the guidance of his father Mai Wenzeng, he practised Cha Quan, the Ten-Round Tan Tui, the Four-Round, Five-Round and Seven-Round forms, single broadsword and spear, double broadsword and spear, and other routines. He later studied Cha Quan and weapons routines with Liu Zhiqi and Chen Jingxian, renowned masters of eastern Henan. In 1962 he learned Xinyi Liuhe Quan, the Hui One Hundred and Eight Elbows, double hammers, the fangtian huaji (halberd), the Wu Song Escaping the Cangue form and other routines, together with the varied applications and countering methods of hand, eye, body and step, from his great-uncle Mai Jinkui, eighth-generation bearer of Xinyi Liuhe Quan. He also learned the school's closely guarded master skills, Bai Hua Dian Jiang (Reviewing the Troops Among a Hundred Flowers) and Zhou Shen Shi Fa (Every Part of the Body a Method). Within the regional tradition and school record of Xinyi Liuhe Quan in Zhoukou, Henan: In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Ma Xueli of Luoyang, Henan, met a recluse who transmitted this art to him. His favourite disciple Ma Sanyuan was a native of Fancheng Town in Linying County, Luohe City. From this beginning the art has been handed down through generations in the Luohe and Zhoukou area for several hundred years. Zhoukou is a major centre of transmission for Xinyi Liuhe Quan in eastern Henan. Like the Luohe branch, it descends from the same line as Ma Xueli of Luoyang, and it is handed down from master to disciple chiefly within the Hui communities of Chuanhui District, Huaiyang, Shenqiu, Xiangcheng and Wuyang in the Zhoukou area; in the late Qing and the Republican period masters such as Mai Jinkui were its leading figures. His successor Mai Xishan is a native of Zhoukou City and has compiled writings such as The Folk Martial Master Mai Jinkui, The Horse Form in Xinyi Liuhe Quan, and Light Steps and Standing Techniques. Another bearer of the art, Lü Yanzhi, is from Wuyang; her technique is disciplined, light and agile, combining stored and released power, and subtle in its variations. After retirement she founded the Yihua Xinyi Boxing Training Class and went to Switzerland and Germany to teach, training numerous disciples at home and abroad.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
Male, of Hui ethnicity, born in March 1949 in Zhoukou City, Henan Province. He is the author of The Folk Martial Arts Master Mai Jinkui, The Horse Form in Xinyi Liuhe Quan (in two parts) and The Key Points of the Light-Step Standing Posture, among other works. He has devoted himself to transmitting and spreading Xinyi Liuhe Quan, actively taking disciples and teaching skills, and has coached more than five thousand students. Within the documented technical tradition of Xinyi Liuhe Quan in Zhoukou, Henan: Xinyi Liuhe Quan is practised in places such as Luohe and Zhoukou City in Henan Province. It is one of China's traditional internal-style boxing arts and a treasure of Chinese martial arts. Its movements are fast and fierce, with firmness carried within softness and firmness and softness working together; it is strongly combative. For hundreds of years masters have held it as a gem, and it has an important influence internationally. Its practice takes two forms, set forms and moving forms, and its main contents are the Xinyi grip, the ten forms, the four-hand routine, the six-harmony saber and the six-harmony spear, among others. Its movements are simple and its content rich, combining health cultivation and physical conditioning with combat in a single art, so that children, adults and the elderly alike may gain from practising it. Vigorously developing Xinyi Liuhe Quan is of great significance for carrying forward China's traditional martial culture, strengthening the people's physique and enriching the art of martial arts. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Transmission in Zhoukou's Hui communities": In Zhoukou the art passed down through Hui communities, preserved in family lines and neighbourhood practice grounds. "Mai Jinkui and Mai Xishan's writings": The Hui master Mai Xishan, born 1949, has written on the lineage of Mai Jinkui and on the horse form, teaching over five thousand pupils. "Lü Yanzhi and her training class": Born in Wuyang in 1943 and of the eighth duan, she founded a training class and has lectured in Switzerland and Germany. "Four-hand routine, single and double hands": The core combinations of the art, forming a ladder from single techniques to complete routines.
Transmission in Zhoukou's Hui communities
In Zhoukou the art passed down through Hui communities, preserved in family lines and neighbourhood practice grounds.
Mai Jinkui and Mai Xishan's writings
The Hui master Mai Xishan, born 1949, has written on the lineage of Mai Jinkui and on the horse form, teaching over five thousand pupils.
Lü Yanzhi and her training class
Born in Wuyang in 1943 and of the eighth duan, she founded a training class and has lectured in Switzerland and Germany.
Four-hand routine, single and double hands
The core combinations of the art, forming a ladder from single techniques to complete routines.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
Representative bearer of Xinyi Liuhe Quan, a third-batch national intangible cultural heritage project.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
Zhoukou is a major centre of transmission for Xinyi Liuhe Quan in eastern Henan. Like the Luohe branch, it descends from the same line as Ma Xueli of Luoyang, and it is handed down from master to disciple chiefly within the Hui communities of Chuanhui District, Huaiyang, Shenqiu, Xiangcheng and Wuyang in the Zhoukou area; in the late Qing and the Republican period masters such as Mai Jinkui were its leading figures. His successor Mai Xishan is a native of Zhoukou City and has compiled writings such as The Folk Martial Master Mai Jinkui, The Horse Form in Xinyi Liuhe Quan, and Light Steps and Standing Techniques. Another bearer of the art, Lü Yanzhi, is from Wuyang; her technique is disciplined, light and agile, combining stored and released power, and subtle in its variations. After retirement she founded the Yihua Xinyi Boxing Training Class and went to Switzerland and Germany to teach, training numerous disciples at home and abroad.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。