Many congratulations to Professor Sun Han Xiang (Lily), a well-known Chinese Wushu professional and the founder of Wulong Tai Chi Kung Fu for her great success in achieving 8th Duan in Wushu from the Chinese Wushu Association at the Official Duanwei Grading on July 21, 2016 in Beijing, China. She was the only master awarded such a high level of Wushu Duan Wei at this international event. Professor Wu Bin (Jet Li’s coach in the Beijing Wushu team), an honourable member and leader of the examination committee, called Lily personally to congratulate her 8th Duan award, he told her he had not seen such an impressive show of Piguaquan in recent memory.

In her application for her 8th Duan, Professor Lily Sun had to complete a series of written and oral examinations. Her grading preparation started before the official examinations in Beijing. She was required to submit videos of her weapon and bare hands forms, 8 different routines in total, to demonstrate her technical abilities. Lily fully satisfied the selection committee with her sound contributions to Wushu and Tai Chi in both China and Australia, which included both her written contributions in form of articles and thesis and her contribution to the Wushu community by helping grow the Wushu community internationally. In her technical examination, Lily belying her age, completed two high energy and impact routines in Piguaquan and Jianshu (Straight Sword) impressing both the Judging panel and her fellow coaches. After seeing her performance, head coaches from Spain, Italy, Japan and many other countries all invited Lily to run seminars and training courses in their respective clubs.

We sincerely congratulate this well deserved and long anticipated achievement. Lily was the youngest, and one of a very small number of the Wushu community granted a 7th Duan in the first round of national Wushu Duanwei examination in China in 2001. She went through the whole process of the 8th Duan examination a few years ago, but could not receive her 8th Duan because she did not meet the age requirement of being over 50 years old! Now with her sights on 9th Duan, Lily finds herself again too young, and having to wait a further 15 years before she is old enough to apply.