October 10โ24, 2026 | Gulun Chan Academy, Mount Songshan, China
An Invitation to the Extraordinary
For the first time in its history, the Gulun Chan Academy opens its doors for a dedicated retreat. This is not a casual workshop or a tourist experience. It is a rare, intimate immersion into the living heart of an unbroken Shaolin lineageโa two-week journey into the stillness where Chan (Zen) and Kung Fu become one.
From 10โ24 October 2026, you are invited to train directly under Shifu Wu Nanfang, the 6th generation lineage holder of the Gulun tradition. Shifu will teach Gong Fu and give talks every dayโsomething that has never happened before. He does not transmit lightly.
This retreat is for those who are ready to sit with themselves. To find stillness. To encounter a tradition that has survived centuries of upheaval and emerged with its essence intact.
The Teacher: A Living Master in a Modern World
Shifu Wu Nanfang began his training around 1972, at the age of ten, under his grand-uncle Wu Youde. Days were for school. Evenings were for the family’s practiceโpractice that took place under the shadow of the Cultural Revolution (1966โ1976), when the Chinese state systematically dismantled Buddhist and martial traditions. The Wu family practised anywayโat night, in the mountains behind Shaolin Temple, after the village had gone to sleep.
“Especially when I was young, during the ten years of the Cultural Revolution, the policy was to eliminate Buddhism. No Buddhist cultural things were permitted to exist. So in that turbulent era, my family was behind Shaolin Temple, deep in the mountains. In that environment, my grandfather and the others, they all used the nighttime. After everyone had gone to sleep, they would still be there constantly practising.”
As a boy, Wu Nanfang slept beside his great-grandfather, absorbing presence as much as stories. The elders took him to Shaolin Temple’s Baiyi Hall, where murals depicted the ancestor Wu Gulunโthe monk entrusted by the Shaolin Temple Master to preserve the tradition’s secrets in the mountains. Standing before these images, something awakenedโnot ambition, but recognition.
He studied under grandfather Wu Youde, uncle Wu Musheng, cousin Qiao Heibao, and for over twenty years with Master Xingxing in both martial and Zen practices. At seventeen, against his family’s wishes, he committed to lifelong practice. In 1995, he took Buddhist refuge at Shaolin Temple under Abbot Shi Suxi, who gave him the Buddhist name Defang.
He then spent the better part of a decade travelling across Songshan Mountain, tracing the students his great-grandfather and grandfather had taught, collecting the scattered fragments of Gulun Kung Fu that had drifted across the region in the upheavals of the twentieth century.
“I used ten years to collect many of these things. The purpose was to be more complete. To properly preserve, promote and continue these Shaolin-transmitted cultural martial arts manuals.”
He frames the inheritance as something carried, not owned.
“This is the wisdom cultivated by how many generations of Shaolin senior monks. Formed generation by generation, not by one person. So it comes not easily.”
Today, Shifu Wu Nanfang stands as one of the few living holders of this complete traditionโa man who risked his safety as a boy to preserve what the state tried to erase, and who now offers it to sincere students from around the world.
The Training: Internal Kung Fu, Chan Stillness
The theme of this retreat is Chan and Kung Fuโnot as separate pursuits, but as a single, integrated path.
Most Gulun Kung Fu training is internalโslow, spiralling, and deeply meditative. Every movement originates from the dantian (the body’s energetic centre) and flows outward through the limbs with intention and awareness. This is not about speed, flash, or athletic display. It is about presence, alignment, and breath.
The curriculum is rooted in the foundational pillars of the Gulun system, yet flexible enough to accommodate advanced practitioners:
Standing Meditation (Zhan Zhuang / Xu Zhuan):
The root of everything. Stand still, align your structure, sink your energy. This looks simple but contains infinite depth.
Zhuan Gong:
Five stances that form the basis of virtually every movement in Kung Fu. Here you learn structure and how to ground yourself completely.
Ba Duan Jin:
Eight Pieces of Brocadeโancient Qigong exercises that open the body’s energy channels and prepare you for deeper practice.
Pan Gen:
The first basic form, focused on moving from your roots and centre. This is your first taste of the beautiful, flowing, spiralling movements that characterise Gulun Kung Fu.
Each evening, Shifu and Ben will give a talkโa series on the heart of the tradition: where Chan and Kung Fu meet.
The Location: The Mountain as Your Temple
The academy is nestled at the foot of Mount Songshanโone of China’s Five Great Mountains and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is not a chaotic city; it is a peaceful, rural, temple-dotted landscape where the rhythm of life follows the sun.
Just 1 kilometre from the academy stands Huishan Templeโa Buddhist temple over 1,500 years old, predating even the famous Shaolin Monastery. Many students rise before dawn to practise Zhan Zhuang in the temple courtyard as the sun rises over the mountains. The combination of ancient stone, morning light, and absolute quiet is unforgettable.
Surrounding the academy, the forests and mountain trails offer quiet, solitary spots for personal practice. Training among the pines, with birdsong replacing walls and the sky as your ceiling, deepens the connection to the art in ways that indoor practice cannot replicate.
Who Is This For?
This retreat is not for everyoneโand that is precisely the point.
It is not for those seeking a fighting bootcamp or a tourist experience. It is for those who:
- Resonate with Zen simplicity
- Long for authenticity
- Value patient practice over quick results
- Have been searching for a deep internal movement practice
- Are ready to sit with themselves and find stillness
Whether you are a complete beginner or a seasoned practitioner, the Gulun system meets you where you are. The foundations are designed for everyone. What matters more than experience is willingness to practise slowly and consistently.
Logistics: Simple, Safe, Supportive
Getting There: Fly into Zhengzhou Airport (CGO). The academy is a 90-minute taxi ride away. Book your taxi via Didi or Amap using this address: ไผๅๅฏบ่ฅฟ800็ฑณ่ทฏๅ800็ฑณๅค่ฝฎ็ฆ ้ข.
Facilities: Rooms are equipped with air conditioning and hot water. Wifi is available.
Visa: For the 14-day retreat, your primary option is the Tourist Visa (L Visa), which allows stays of up to 30 days. Depending on your nationality, you may also qualify for visa-free entry. The academy can provide an official invitation letterโsimply email Li Juan at wugulunacademy@hotmail.com to start the process.
Safety: China is substantially safer than most of Europeโvery low crime, little drunkenness, no aggressive street culture. Dengfeng and Songshan are quiet, rural, and friendly. Foreigners are generally welcomed warmly rather than taken advantage of; people are more likely to refuse payment than overcharge.
Why This Moment Matters
This is the first time Shifu Wu Nanfang has opened his doors for a dedicated retreat. It is the first time he will teach daily, in person, to a group of sincere students. Given his age and the rarity of his transmission, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The Gulun tradition has survived for over 150 yearsโthrough revolution, suppression, and obscurity. It has been carried by a lineage of masters who refused to let it die. Now, for two weeks in October, you have the chance to step into that stream.
Not to observe. Not to take photos. But to practise. To sit. To learn from a man who embodies the very thing he teaches.
Secure Your Place
This is a small-group, intimate retreat. Spaces are strictly limited to preserve the quality of instruction and the depth of the experience.
Event Details:
- Dates: October 10โ24, 2026
- Location: Gulun Chan Academy, Mount Songshan, China
- Instructors: Shifu Wu Nanfang & Ben
Ready to begin? Visit https://studymartialarts.org/trip/gulun-kung-fu-retreat/
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