Hand over fist

Its name translates as Chen Clan Ditch, but the poor farming village of Chenjiagou in central Henan province is home to one of China's greatest cultural treasures. Located just outside the town of Wenxian, about 20 minutes' drive from the banks of the Yellow River, it is where tai chi chuan, China's most popular martial art, originated in the 17th century.

Affluence now beckons as devotees come from around China and across the globe to hone their skills in the martial art that is traced to the village clan's ancestors. Chenjiagou, with a population of about 2,000, remains firmly rural. Most villagers reside in single-storey brick houses, make their living growing corn and raising sheep, and cows can be spotted ambling down dusty side streets. But as more martial arts schools open to cater to growing numbers of visiting students, the popularity of tai chi is leaving a mark.

Chen Xiaoxing, a 19th-generation master, runs one of its biggest tai chi schools. Flanked by two imposing, 15-metre-high traditional gates, Chen's school encompasses not just a martial arts gymnasium, but also hotel-style rooms, dormitories, classrooms, an office and a dining hall. Some 130 students (numbers rise to 200 in the summer) live in the spacious complex, served by 25 staff.

Beside the gates are two shops, selling tai chi clothing, DVDs, weapons, souvenirs - even bottles of 'Chen Village Tai Chi Spirits'. The supermarket next door does a roaring trade selling iced drinks to sweaty students, and offers a range of tai chi swords.

Another large school lies on the outskirts of the village. Down a side alley, a third, smaller school beckons, and a fourth is under construction. However, several derelict houses in the village centre recall the tai chi masters who left to establish more lucrative schools in major mainland cities and abroad.

'Most people in the village practise tai chi as a hobby,' says Chen Xiaoxing. 'It's not that important for the village economy.'