How is China increasing its focus on sustainable fashion?

Written by Julia Ruston

Who has not heard about the concept of sustainable fashion yet? It is certainly a buzz word in the fashion industry, becoming more and more important as people question their choice of clothing and where it is sourced. In particular, sustainable fashion is rapidly gaining attention and influence in the Chinese fashion industry as more people, especially the younger generations, are contributing to addressing the concerns and downsides of fast fashion and want to provide a sustainable alternative.

Why is China making these changes?

Whilst a rapid economic development has been very positive for Chinese people to advance in the direction of a more harmonious and wealthy society it has also brought some safety, health and environmental issues. Since the relocation of most Western fashion giant’s production lines to China, Chinese people have been the ones to personally suffer the health, safety and environmental disasters in the textile industry. The ultimate goal to balance the economy, environment and society is one that the Chinese have realised needs a heavier focus on sustainability. This is why the Chinese government has taken action in the past years, committing to the Paris Agreement, proposing a range of carbon, energy and pollution targets in its 12^th five-year plan and launching the new Made in China 2025 strategy which focuses on pursuing green development and upgrading China to be a manufacturer of quality over quantity.

The recipe for sustainability

So, if sustainable fashion is an important part of being more environmentally and socially conscious, what exactly does it englobe? Well, many people are not aware of the extensive area sustainability applies to. Here are the three overarching themes that strive for sustainability and directly apply to eco-fashion:

Being respectful towards the environment, the producers, the end product’s lifecycle and the consumer.
Contributing to the preservation of the cultural heritage and tradition of the product.
Optimising resources by making quality, lasting products with the most natural methods and materials possible

“Made in China” reformed

China has a great opportunity to develop many sustainable fashion brands as it has an efficient and well-developed infrastructure and a skilled workforce. Fortunately, more and more Chinese fashion brands are investing in making sustainable fashion especially Gen Z designers. With the new Made in China 2025 strategy and many Chinese designers taking an interest in becoming more sustainable, it has been a growing force in Shanghai’s Fashion Week (SFW) for the past few years with many emblematic fashion designers having a go at sustainable fashion. For example, Ffixxed Studios was featured in a past edition of SFW for their focus on reducing wastage from manufacturing, using recycled materials and using natural fibres. This label’s commitment to being more sustainable has been acknowledged by winning the Yoox.com Asian Sustainable Fashion award in 2015.

Other Chinese designers that are focusing on this emerging sustainable “Made in China” label are Vega Zaishi Wang who is combining ancient craftsmanship with a modern touch in her clothing line and Angel Chang who is actively involved with local communities, in order to promote and help keep Chinese traditional designs and textiles alive.

In Interact China, we are doing our best to contribute to these sustainable goals and strongly strive to achieve the recipe for sustainability. We help promote the cultural heritage and tradition of our products which are handmade with sustainable materials. Moreover, we respect our producers who are ethnic minorities by providing fair pay and helping to keep their traditional and aboriginal designs and materials alive.

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide!”

Aileen & Norman co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 13 years of solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we are well positioned to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and directly bring you finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.

So far we carry 3000+ goods covering Ladies Fashion via ChineseFashionStyle.com, Kungfu Fashion, Home Furnishings, Babies & Kids, Painting Arts, Textile Arts, Carving Arts, Tribal Jewelry Art, Wall Masks and Musical Instruments. Our team speak English, French, German, Spanish and Italian, and serve customers worldwide with passion and hearts.

P.S. We Need People with Similar Passion to Join Our Blogging Team!
If you have passion to write about Oriental Aesthetic in Fashion, Home Decor, Art & Crafts, Culture, Music, Books, and Charity, please contact us at bloggers@interactchina.com, we would love to hear from you!

Ethnic and Ethical: 4 Reasons to Love (and Live) Sustainable Fashion in China

Written By Maria Giglio

I remember the last time I walked around Regent’s Street area in London. It was last winter on a Saturday. Ok, it may not have been the last time, but surely it was the most memorable. I passed by a fur shop. A bunch of protesters stood in front of the building yelling at anyone getting out of the fancy door. Several bystanders just didn’t take them seriously or worse, they held their children tight, covering their eyes and ears, as if they were assisting to a terrorist attack. It was a moment of dramedy.

Greta Thunberg on her first climate strike in front of the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm

Ok, we get it. In the era of veganism, environmentalism, climate change strikes, grumpy looks from Greta Thunberg to Donald Trump, not everyone is ready to give up their comfort food just yet, and for what? The promise of a better future? Ain’t no hero, ain’t no saint, right? Wrong! Maybe this is an era in desperate need of a Marvel character, only this time the whole world is at stake. And by world, I mean trees, animals, insects, fish, your delicious bonsai, your Golden Retriever, but also you and I, our children and their children. Only problem is… The environmental alarm is set to 2030. In a world without fictional saviours, only humanity can save itself from self-destruction. Good news: we are still in time to make this happen. How? By compromising on our old habits: energy and food waste, water efficiency, responsible consumption. In a nutshell, sustainability. And compared to the payoff, this is really a small effort. The growing concern about sustainability issues has finally led many industries to look at it as a crucial bullet point in their performance checklist. Sustainable goals are increasingly becoming a key determinant of bottom line performances.

A relatively young capitalist economic superpower and a fast-forward technological hub, China is a fertile environment to grow sustainable businesses. As an important branch of mass consumption, fashion is one of the most prosperous industries affected by sustainability goals. A workforce of young, western-educated home-comers are prepared to redress their homeland reputation with sustainable initiatives.

What is sustainable fashion?

The very first important question to ask is: what do we mean by sustainable fashion? The answer is, one that is environmental-friendly, but also people-friendly. Why would (and should) we support it, then?

It’s good for the planet

Sustainability intuitively relates to environmental issues. In what ways fashion can be sustainable under this aspect? First of all, generally ethical brands offer handmade products, usually unique pieces. Taking mass-production off the table implies to avoid frenetic production which exhausts resources rapidly, but also to avoid industrial processing which implies high level of energy emission, chemical material usage, water consumption, toxic waste.

Moreover, sustainable clothing is made of natural, organic and recycled materials. This contributes to reduce the ecological footprint not only because “what comes from nature returns to nature” but also because it reduces waste production. In fact, organic fabric generally ensures a better quality of clothing, which usually lasts longer than synthetic fibres. This discourages you from disposing of a shirt right after few months of usage.

It’s good for yourself

I’ve just pointed out that a very important feature of sustainable fashion is that is made of organic fabric. This is also good for your health. As a customer, you don’t want to risk to wake up covered in rash because of the wrong pajama. Organic fabrics usually have a very low level, if not free, of toxicity and carcinogens.

Moreover, let’s not forget that handmade production grants you top quality and awesome unique pieces, at a fairly reasonable prices. Don’t you want to feel special and unique too?

It’s good for other people

Environment and health are the most obvious reasons for going sustainable. But beyond those, we should think of sustainability more as a holistic concept, that refers to all the dimensions of our living together. It’s a call to share the global limited space and resources equally, responsibly and kindly, paying the same consideration for the well-being of others as the consideration we expect them to pay for us. The official plan for sustainability set up by the UN, the Sustainable Development Goals (in short 2030 SDGs), amounts to 17 global goals in total including social goals in the global political agenda.

To mention some, gender equality, education, peace, justice, decent work, innovation. So, beyond the eco-friendly purpose, sustainable fashion also aims at achieving social equality. How? By taking care of the well-being of women and men behind each product. For example, the use of organic materials reduces the risk of exposure to and inhalation of toxic substances, thus safeguarding the worker’s health. Moreover, sustainable brands endorse a policy of fairness. Retailers in this slice of market are usually committed to promote the ethnic products of the most marginalised communities in the world to support their independent development. How? By granting fair pay and treating them as equal partners and avoiding engaging in abusive practices. Last but not least, by promoting their cultural heritage, often at risk of disappearance due to the mass-globalisation.

Ultimately, it’s good for your soul

Yes, it is. Don’t you feel already empowered by knowing that so much good can come from one simple gesture? You are one bag away from changing a life, for real.

Chinese Brands Committed to Ethical Fashion

And if you’re curious to know who is striving for social change in the Chinese fashion district, here are some examples:

Nuomi – A high-end fashion line, Nuomi empowers women with its handmade line, all using natural fibres such as bamboo, cotton, silk, and an admirable working ethics, creating employment opportunities in disadvantaged contexts.

Fake Natoo – is a true blessing for the environment, using exclusively recycled and donated materials. The fashion brand is also committed to create working opportunities for migrant female creatives by giving 10% of its annual revenue to their cooperatives.

NEEMIC – this high end fashion brand uses 100% organic materials, from fabric to cleansing products such as biodegradable soaps to avoid chemical waste.

Interact China: Do good, look good, feel good!

If you are looking for something that ticks all the boxes but is also culturally tripping, look no more! Interact China is devoted to promoting the delicate creations of Chinese and Southeast Asian ethnic communities.

Our mission is to improve the livelihood of these communities by providing them with the opportunity to sell their products in the global market.

Our co-founders Aileen and Norman on a trip to a Miao Village, Yunnan 2005

Each item is a little treasure telling the story of its people’s long journey. Do you want to hear it? The way we see it: do good, look good, feel good! You are just a click away from making it happen… Visit us on www.InteractChina.com !

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide!”

Crying In Their Shoes: The Cruel Myth Of Foot-binding

Written by Maria Giglio

Have you ever seen a foot fitting in the palm of your hand that is not that of a child?

Female foot-binding is a practice as old as a millennium that used to be widespread among Chinese women until earlier 21^st Century and was officially banned in 1912 after the establishment of the Republic of China.

You may wonder why the practice had been around for so long, and the answer is not that easy.

In China, a lotus foot, as small as 3 inches, was considered a symbol of feminine beauty, sensuality and elegance.

Fitting the lotus

As a foot this small was rare to find among adult women, foot-binding had to start as soon as possible in order to prevent its natural growth, usually around the age of 5, and would take about 2 years to complete. The girl’s feet would first be treated with hot water and oil, then all toes, except the big toes, would be broken and bound to the soles to form a triangular shape; finally, the feet were bent double and wrapped in a silk strip that would have been changed every two days to avoid infections.

As a foot this small was rare to find among adult women, foot-binding had to start as soon as possible in order to prevent its natural growth, usually around the age of 5, and took about 2 years to complete. The girl’s feet would first be treated with hot water and oil, then all toes, except the big toes, would be broken and bound to the soles to form a triangular shape; finally, the feet would be bent double and wrapped in a silk strip that would have been changed every two days to avoid infections.

After the treatment, girls had to walk for long periods of time, to facilitate the breaking of their arches so that heal and shoe would crush together to fit in smaller shoes.

Origins of Foot-binding

There are many versions of the origin of foot-binding. What is certain is that this practice was particularly popular during Song dynasty. However, a common belief relates the invention of foot-binding to the period of Tang dynasty, around the 10^th Century, and thus before the Song. Emperor Yu Li asked his concubine Yao Niang to dance on her toes on a six-foot tall golden lotus. Yao Niang binded her feet in white silk so to perform the dance which was so enchanting that every woman in Court had wanted to imitate her ever since.

Historically, the first archeologic evidence about foot-binding in Ancient China dates to 1243, during the Song period, in the tomb of a 17-year-old girl named Huang Sheng.

Meaning and spread of foot-binding

Foot-binding was never imposed to women by any law. On the contrary, it was banned and condemned at times. Then why did it last for so long in first place? As already mentioned, a lotus foot was an aesthetic requirement to marry Chinese women. Soon it became a status symbol. Women with bound feet were typically regarded as particularly attractive and seductive. This is also encouraged by the fact that lotus-feet women walk slowly and gracefully to avoid aggravating the pain and uneasiness caused by the binding.

Among many aspects, one important reason why foot-binding had been widespread until later years is its relation to Han culture. After their invasion of China in 1636 and the establishment of Qing dynasty, the Manchus imposed to the conquered their costumes and traditions and among made several attempts to ban foot-binding. Consequently, Han people, who also represent the majority of Chinese nowadays, kept practicing foot-binding as a way of resistance to the ‘barbaric’ oppressors who, on their side, stopped trying to ban it.

During the Qing Dynasty and up until the 19^th Century, bounded feet increasingly became a mark of beauty and turned into an advantage for finding a wealthy husband.

After the arise of many protests within the Chinese community, in 1912 the Republic of China officially banned foot-binding, but lack of enforcement and resistance didn’t stop it from being diffused until 1990s, when the practice had disappeared with the last generation of lotus feet women. By the end of the 20st Century all shoe factories in China had closed due to the lack of demand. The last factory, Zhiqiang in Harbin, was shut in 1999 with all the unsold stock being donated to the Heilongjiang Museum of Ethnography.

Pleasure and Pain: Lotus Shoes

Because of the pain caused by the broken bones and the awkward position of the feet, women could barely walk and so spent a lot of time home hand-sewing and embroidering to embellish their lotus shoes.

But what did this footwear look like? As the name suggests, the lotus shoes recalled the shape of a lotus blossom with their cone shape. They were usually made of cotton and silk and enriched with fine embroidered or hand-sewn patterns, representing animals, flowers or ‘shou’, the symbol of longevity.

The style and colour of lotus shoes varied according to the occasion. For example, while brides typically wore red shoes, the colour yellow was usually reserved to aristocracy, Imperial members, and in general wealthier classes.

A painful expression of Chinese pride

Nowadays, foot-binding is quickly stigmatised as an unnecessary and cruel practice aimed at perfect female bodies, compared to tight corsets. But the truth is much more complex than that, and the story of foot-binding tells us that there was a time when cultural identity would have been defended at any cost.

Are you curious to see lotus shoes live? Check out the following collections around the globe:

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide!”

Pig-In The Chinese New Year: Happy 2019!

Written by Maria Giglio

As you probably already know, on Tuesday 5^th February in China and among Chinese communities around the globe started the celebration of the new Lunar Year, aka Spring Festival. The festival will last for the next few weeks, following the Lunar Calendar. Each year is represented by a Zodiac animal and 2019 is the year of the Pig.

In the traditional Chinese Calendar years follow a sexagenary cycle named Ganzhi. This 60-year system features a combination between 10 Tiangan (heavenly stems) and 12 Dizhi (earthly branches). Each year is then determined by – and named after –a pair of stem and branch.

Each heavenly stem corresponds to one of the 5 Chinese elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water – each combined either with the Yang or the Yin polarity. Therefore, for each of these elements we have respectively: Wood (Yang) & Flower (Yin), Sun (Yang) & Fire (Yin), Mountain (Yin) & Soil (Yang), Metal (Yang) & Gold (Yin), Water (Yang) & Air (Yin).

The 12 Earthly branches instead correspond to the Zodiac Animals: Rat (鼠, shǔ), Ox (牛, niú), Tiger (虎, hǔ), Rabbit (兔, tù), Dragon (龙, lóng), Snake (蛇, shé), Horse (马, mǎ), Goat (羊, yang), Monkey (猴, hóu), Rooster (鸡, jī), Dog (狗, gǒu) and Pig (猪, zhū).

So, forget about the daily horoscope: the Chinese Zodiac is a 12-year based one!

Are all Pigs Equal?

We have already said that 2019 is the year of the pig, the last of the zodiac symbols. But what does it mean, and what kind of pig? Well, according to the sexagenary cycle, for this year the Earthly branch of “Hai” – the pig – is paired with the Heavenly Stem of “jǐ”, the Yin Earth. So 2019 is the year of the “己亥” (jǐhài), the Earth Pig.

Along came the Pig

Why the pig is the twelfth and last element of the Chinese Zodiac? According to one version of the Chinese mythology, it is because the Jade Emperor called for a great race to the Heavenly Gate to select his 12 guardians. The rat, the first animal of the Zodiac, came first thanks to his cunning, outsmarting all the animals that ran faster than him. Due to his laziness and constant hunger, the pig stopped several times during the race to eat and rest. The legend holds that the Emperor was just about to close the race and proclaim the 11 winners when the Pig came snorting.

The Pig born identity

In Chinese horoscope there are 5 kinds of Pigs depending on the heavenly stem the sign is matched with: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

In general, the Pig born have a peaceful, generous and friendly personality. Pigs are also intelligent and particularly ambitious and passionate in pursuing their objectives. However, because they are very generous and naive, it is very easy to take advantage of them.

As to the Earth Pigs, extroversion is their distinctive feature among all others.

Thanks to his personality, the Earth Pig usually excels in many highly remunerative careers such as medicine, finance and law. Thanks to the fact that he is also very extrovert, the Pig easily succeeds in performing arts.

Past and future Earth Pigs

Because of the sexagenary cycle, the only other living Earth Pigs apart from 2019 babies are those born in 1959 and the next ones will be born in 2079!

Among the Earth Pig celebrities there are actress Emma Thompson, Dr. House Hugh Laurie and Rupert Everett.

Sadly you won’t find George Clooney, even though he definitely is a Pig lover.

Luck in 2019 for Earth Pigs… and others

Unlike the western Astrology, in Chinese Horoscope the birth sign year (本命年) is considered to be unlucky.

But seriously, this is not a Pig deal! In fact, this animal is traditionally associated with luck, thus entering the year of the Pig is seen to bring about fortune and wealth to everybody.

Having that in mind, there is nothing left but wishing you all an amazing 2019!

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide!”

P.S. We Need People with Similar Passion to Join Our Blogging Team!
If you have passion to write about Oriental Aesthetic in Fashion, Home Decor, Art & Crafts, Culture, Music, Books, and Charity, please contact us at bloggers@interactchina.com, we would love to hear from you!

Kungfu & Society

Canadian Woman Country’s First to Win Global Gold in Martial Arts Championship

Patricia Wright of Chatham, Ontario became the first-ever Canadian gold medalist at the World Karate Federation in Linz, Austria, on October 29. Wright competed in the intellectually impaired division- she had suffered from severed epilepsy since childhood, which was made worse after receiving a traumatic brain injury during a car accident six years ago.

This was her first ever world championship, so she had only expected to place in the top ten of her division- now a world champion, she has her eyes on Olympic gold, saying “I’m very excited to see potentially what is next. The next step for me potentially is the Paralympics, if I qualify. We have to see if there’s a division for me to qualify in.” For now she is travelling Europe, competing and winning in other tournaments in Spain and Romania.

Very popular with seniors: the Chinese martial arts Tai Chi

Cecilia Lima-Wüst has been teaching at the senior center for more than ten years. More than 300 volunteers work in the ten Heidelberg senior centers. They help with program planning, lunch or organize courses. One of them is Cecilia Lima-Wüst, who has been offering Tai Chi for over ten years at the senior city center.

Cecilia went to China and studied traditional Chinese medicine and tai chi. She lived in China for seven years, and in 1999 she came to Heidelberg. She saw a notice board at the senior center, advertising a Tai Chi teacher position.

“For me, the courses were also a way to improve my German, because that was not so good at the beginning,” reports the 55-year-old. Her voluntary work has given her much self-confidence and facilitated her integration into German society. For the seniors, the Tai Chi courses are very popular and the slow, flowing movements are an effective low-impact exercise.

Beating Sexism; Martial Arts Star Promotes the Contribution of Women

Maria Tran is an Australian-Vietnamese actor and Martial Arts specialist. As a child, she was captivated by Hong Kong martial arts videos, which documented the rise of action stars such as Jet Li.

She admits that she was teased growing up for her “boyish” interest in Martial Arts. As a child and teenager, Tran states that she disliked the “set etiquette” which girls were expected to follow.

Yet, this hasn’t prevented Tran from making her dream of a career in Martial Arts a reality. She has recently helped to produce the Supreme Ultimate, an art installation with a feature film and live performances by martial artists.

This project was aimed at giving women a public space to perform, and showcase their talents “without labels”, allowing for community building and freedom of expression. For Tran, it was important to give these women an opportunity that she was denied- to be able to perform without judgement.

An Unlikely Hero; from Pharmacist to Kung- Fu Champion

In the West, Wushu was made famous by action stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Now, Western Australia has a new World Champion.

Elizabeth Lim, a twenty-six year old pharmacist, has become Australia’s first World Champion in the sport, triumphing at the Championships in Jakarta.

Lim is described as “mild-mannered”, yet proves explosive as she competes, demonstrating a mastery of skills such as butterfly twists and aerial spins. She has been training in Wushu for nearly a decade, and is part of the WA Chin Woo Athletic Association, which was founded in 1996. The organisation is not-for-profit, and was designed to help keep young people, particularly the children of Asian migrants, off the streets, and give them something to focus on. The organisation emphasises that Martial Arts are a means of discipline and fitness, not for “people who likes to fight”.

Independent Martial Arts Film, ***The Defector*, Ready For Online Release**

Martial Arts Instructor Lee McGeough, and two students from the University of Gloucestershire have produced an intense “Kung-fu” thriller, using a budget of just £250.

The short film, which was shot on locations in and around Cheltenham and Stroud, was filmed throughout July and August 2016.

The plot centres on a top secret agent, who defects from his “malevolent and ruthless political organisation”, and is pursued through the streets by his former employer. He uses his extensive Martial Arts skills to attempt to survive.

More than twenty people have worked on the film, including other Martial Artists from Lee’s company, Spectrum Fight Choreography. The film is due to be released on the 31^st of October. If more funding becomes available, then there is hope that The Defector could be turned into a full-length feature film.

Bai Long, the Western Kung Fu Master

Sky Patterson, a 27 year old American from Portland, Oregon, is known as the Western Kungfu master and has developed a large following in China due to his excellent acting in the movie Tai Chi Zero and The Kung Fu Master.

Patterson started learning Kungfu when he was a childand he studied theatre and Chinese language at the University of Southern California. After his graduation, he received a full scholarship from the Chinese government and went to study in Beijing for one year, where he competed in the international Kungfu competition and acted in several films. He also won the Gold Medal at the International Shaolin Temple Cultural Festival and grand champion at the Long Beach International Karate Championship. Patterson calls himself “Bai Long,” which means White Dragon in Chinese. “Because I am a white guy who was born in the year of dragon based on Chinese zodiac,” he says.

Posted by Yuqing @ InteractChina.com

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide”

Aileen & Norman co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 12 years of solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we are well positioned to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and directly bring you finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.

So far we carry 3000+ goods covering Ladies Fashion, Tailor Shop, Home Furnishings, Babies & Kids, Painting Arts, Textile Arts, Carving Arts, Tribal Jewelry Art, Wall Masks and Musical Instruments. Our team speak English, French, German, Spanish and Italian, and serve customers worldwide with passion and hearts.

Kungfu News in China

First Taolu World Cup

The first Taolu World Cup was held by International Wushu Federation and attracted more than 200 top Wushu athletes from over 22 countries. These athletes were “The top 8 placed athletes from the 13^th World Wushu Championships,” which made this a very elite competition. There were 22 individual competitions, including Man’s Taiji Quan, Women’s Jian Shu and so on.

Fuzhou, China, 18^th to 20^th November 2016

3^RD National Wushu Taiji Quan cup

The 3^RD National Wushu Taiji Quan cup took place after two speculated competitions were held in Qionghai and Ding’an in 2014 and 2015. Many famous Chinese Kung Fu stars such as Jet Li and Ji Chunhua were invited and attended the event. According to Huailiang Liu, who is the president of Hainan Wushu Association, the purpose of this competition was “to emphasize Chinese traditional martial art and grow the influence of Taiji… Also, the core value of Taiji is ‘harmony’ and this event can express our wish of building a harmonious society.”

Hainan, China from December 1^st to 3^rd2016

The 15^th Hong Kong Wushu international Championship

The “One Trip Cup” Hong Kong Wushu international Championship will be held “to promote the art, the culture and civilization.” The purpose of this competition is to promote the traditional Wushu to the world. Furthermore, this competition is also a great chance for Wushu lovers to make friends, promote the Kung Fu community, learn Wushu techniques from each other and explore new opportunities in Kung Fu. Over ten thousand participants from many countries like USA, Greece, and Columbia, Japan, etc. have joined the competition in the previous years. To celebrate its 15^th anniversary, 1 million yuan worth awards are being prepared for participating athletes including 100 thousand cash award for athletes winning the first, second, and third prize in “King of Kings Micro Wushu” contest and so on.

Hong Kong, 17^th to 19^th March

Posted by Yuqing@ InteractChina.com

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide”

Aileen & Norman co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 12 years of solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we are well positioned to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and directly bring you finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.

Kungfu News in Spain

Second International Chinese Martial Arts Tournament

The Escuela de Kung Fu / Wushu Tradicional hosted the Second International Chinese Martial Arts Tournament, which had a variety of divisions, forms, and styles available to compete in. This competition promoted Kung Fu values such as humility, respect, confidence, and leadership.

Vila-Real City, 26^th-27^th November 2016

Posted by Yuqing@ InteractChina.com

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide”

Aileen & Norman co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 12 years of solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we are well positioned to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and directly bring you finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.

Kungfu News in Germany

Shaolin Kung Fu Cross Country Show

The master of Shaolin Kung Fu show is back to Germany in 2017. During the approximately two hour’s presentation, the audience can expect a breathtaking show where the Shaolin monks show their amazing mental and combat skills.

The show introduces the differentiated skills of the monks. Flagstones burst only by the force of hands, iron rods bend like matches, spears are drilled into the body of a monk without hurting him.

Shaolin Kung Fu is far more than pure martial arts. It is one of the oldest methodological combat systems in the world. Practitioners believe that physical feats will be enhanced by spiritual training. The multimedia show is absolutely worth seeing.

People can watch it in following cities in January 2017:

Schwabach Fr, 06.01.17, 20:00

Munich Mo, 09.01.17, 20:00

Koblenz Mi, 11.01.17, 20:00

Amberg Sa, 14.01.17, 20:00

Multiple Locations and Dates, 2017

“Chinese Wind Kung Fu Love” martial arts tour

Confucius Institute at Nuremberg-Erlangen, Germany, joined hands with the Capital Institute of Physical Education to present a martial arts show entitled “Chinese Wind and Kung Fu Love” for more than 300 local people in the evening of October 2, local time.

Organized by Confucius Institute Headquarters / Hanban, and hosted by nine Confucius Institutes in Germany, Austria and Luxembourg, Erlangen was the sixth stop of the tour, which aimed to show the world the unique charm of Chinese martial arts.

This show creatively combined artistic elements such as martial arts and dancing, the Chinese martial arts cultural connotation, the combination of hardness and softness, sonorous knife sticks and sword guns, soft folding fans and umbrellas, stretching Taiji and Changquan, all showing ” Martial arts “behind the unique Chinese martial arts culture and spirit.

Nuremberg-Erlangen, 2th December 2016

Ironhead from director Tian Dong as part of the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section in Berlin Film Festival

The Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday unveiled the first seven films that will screen next year as part of its Perspektive Deutsches Kino section, the documentary Ironhead from director Tian Dong included.

Three medium-length films were also screened in the Berlin Perspektive sidebar: Container by Sebastian Lang, Mikel from director Cavo Kernich and Felicitas Sonvilla’s Tara.

Director Tian Dong grew up in China and attended the KHM in Cologne. He has now completed his studies with the documentary Eisenkopf (Ironhead), about a young soccer team skilled in Shaolin kung fu. Tian Dong visited the soccer team’s young members at their sports school, and talked to them about their everyday lives and dreams.

Berlin will announce the complete Perspektive Deutsches Kino program by end of January.

The 67th Berlin Film Festival runs Feb. 9-19.

Berlin, 21th December 2016

Posted by Yuqing@ InteractChina.com

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide”

Aileen & Norman co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 12 years of solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we are well positioned to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and directly bring you finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.

Kungfu News in Italy

Shaolin Quan Fa- Shaolin Qi Gong and Yi Jin Jing Seminar

The seminar was on the stress-reducing benefits of traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine offers the opportunity to gather the Jing and Qi energy all over the body. The improvement of the articular mobility, the flexibility and the stretching of the tendons to improve the flow of the energy and blood circulation were also discussed.

Rome, 19^th November 2016

Trainer Course 2017 for Wing Tjun Kung Fu

Kung Fu Academy Caserta – Trainer Course 2017. This course is for those who wish to learn the traditional system of self-defense, competitive fighting and health. Following the study of Wing Tjun Kung Fu, this course will give you the opportunity to learn the system both theoretically and practically. A special attention will be given to Qigong.

Caserta, February 11th- 12th 2017

Posted by Yuqing@ InteractChina.com

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide”

Aileen & Norman co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 12 years of solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we are well positioned to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and directly bring you finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.

Kungfu News in France

National Internship for Qi Gong for the Northern Zone

On Nov 26, the National Internship for Qi Gong for the Northern Zone has taken place at the Sport Centre Max Rousié, in Paris. Organized by the FFDKDA, this course aimed to make participants contribute actively to their own well-being and their energetic equilibrium.

Paris, November 26^th2016

Shuai Jiao National Championship

The national championship of Shuai Jiao will take place at the Lucan Gymnasium in Mantes la Jolie on Sunday January 29^th 2017, as from 9 am to 6 pm. Children born as from 2010 will be able to participate and weighting and enrolment will take place on the same day at 9 am. This championship also stands as qualifications for the Word Cup of Shuai Jiao 2017 that will take place in November in San Francisco.

Mantes la Jolie, 2017 January 29^th2017

Posted by Yuqing@ InteractChina.com

About Interact China

“A Social Enterprise in E-commerce Promoting Oriental Aesthetic Worldwide”

Aileen & Norman co-founded Interact China in 2004 with specialization in fine Oriental Aesthetic products handmade by ethnic minorities & Han Chinese. Having direct partnerships with artisans, designers, craft masters and tailors, along with 12 years of solid experience in e-commerce via InteractChina.com, we are well positioned to bridge talented artisans in the East with the rest of the world, and directly bring you finely selected products that are of good quality and aesthetic taste.