Master Yun
Biography
Yun, the Female Hero of Emei: Bringing New Glory to Intangible Cultural Heritage Martial Arts. Amid the morning mist of Mount Emei in Sichuan, a young woman in martial arts attire is often seen wandering while practicing swordplay—her figure as light as a butterfly, her moves firm and powerful. She is Yun, affectionately known by netizens as the "Female Hero of Emei," a post-95s inheritor of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) who has dedicated her youth and passion to Emei martial arts. At 26, she has spent 20 years persisting and innovating, breathing vibrant new life into this ancient martial art in the new era.
Yun’s connection with martial arts began with a chance encounter in a park when she was 4. While taking a walk with her grandfather, the agile movements of children in a martial arts training class captivated the young girl. Guided by her grandfather, she officially embarked on her journey of learning martial arts. Unlike most children’s childhoods, Yun’s was steeped in morning dew and sweat—she rose before dawn to practice horse stances, her wrists developed calluses from gripping the sword hilt, and the pain of practicing basic skills became a daily routine.
Yet none of this hardship made her back down. At 8, she obtained the National Second-Class Athlete Certificate; at 10, she resolutely left home to join the Emei School, receiving systematic training at the Leshan Giant Buddha Wenwu School and even personal guidance from Principal Wang Jian, a leading figure in Emei martial arts.
The combination of talent and diligence allowed Yun to stand out in martial arts competitions. At the International Emei Martial Arts Festival, held every two years, she repeatedly won gold and silver medals in swordsmanship and Emei thorn events. In 2017, at the 7th World Traditional Wushu Championships held in Mount Emei, she claimed the championship in the short weapon category with her exquisite Emei thorn skills, showcasing the charm of Emei martial arts to the world at this highest-level traditional martial arts event. After graduating from Sichuan University of Media and Communications with a major in choreography, she did not choose a career unrelated to martial arts. Instead, she returned to her hometown to establish a film and television company, and used live streams to explain the essence of Emei martial arts to the public. Her four to five hours of live broadcasting each day brought this ancient art closer to more people.
In February 2020, a short video titled "Wearing Pajama Pants, Taking a Sword to Take Out the Trash" made Yun an overnight sensation. In the video, dressed in casual pajama pants, she picked up a long sword and performed a set of movements with smooth fluidity; her graceful posture when she sheathed the sword garnered 3.223 million likes, and the title "Female Hero of Emei" spread across the internet. Later, she launched the "Jianghu Emei" (Emei in the Martial World) series, using highly visual short videos to present a real-life martial arts world. Among these, her 2021 video "Emei School, Your Girl Is Back"—a tribute to ancestors—caused her Douyin (TikTok China) followers to surge by 800,000 overnight, eventually exceeding 10 million. As of January 2025, her Douyin account has accumulated 13.178 million followers, and her 363 works have received a total of 230 million likes, making her one of the most influential cultural and tourism bloggers on Douyin.
After rising to fame, Yun has always kept her mission of inheritance in mind, actively promoting Emei martial arts to go global. In March 2023, she collaborated with a guzheng (Chinese zither) virtuoso to create the short film Chinese Red in Paris on the streets of Paris. The Chinese red under the Eiffel Tower perfectly merged with the hardness and softness of Emei martial arts; the related video trended on major platforms and sparked heated discussions on social media at home and abroad. From performing Qi Yun Feng Huo (Aura of Wind and Fire) at CCTV’s New Year’s Eve Gala, to demonstrating martial arts in the special program for Youth Day, and then to co-performing A Laugh Across the Vast Sea with the Emei Female Kung Fu Troupe at the 2025 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala—she has repeatedly showcased the profound heritage of Emei martial arts on national-level stages.
As an ICH inheritor of Emei martial arts, Yun deeply understands the weight of the word "inheritance." In February 2024, she joined hands with Guangdong TV to launch the "Heroine Recruitment Campaign," seeking female disciples who love martial arts to form the first Emei ICH Martial Arts Female Kung Fu Troupe. In April of the same year, the troupe was officially established, and she, as the senior sister, personally taught classes, passing on her skills without reservation. Additionally, she serves as the "Emei Martial Arts Promotion Ambassador" and "Ya'an City Anti-Fraud Promotion Ambassador," using her influence to take on social responsibilities. In 2024, she was awarded the title of "Advanced Individual in National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Work" by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and was selected as one of the "2023 China ICH Figures." In 2025, she further won the 28th Sichuan Youth May 4th Medal.
From silently persisting in the training room to gaining widespread attention on online platforms; from the glory of winning championships in competitions to shouldering the responsibility of ICH inheritance—Yun has used her actions to interpret the spirit of "a true hero serves the country and its people." As she once said in a short video: "I have never regretted choosing martial arts, because when the choice is right, the pursuit becomes meaningful." This 26-year-old "Female Hero of Emei" is using her youth and passion to make Emei martial arts—this pearl of intangible cultural heritage—shine even more brilliantly on the stage of the new era.
