Mr. Wei Qinwen was born on May 27th in the lunar calendar of the 30th year of the Guangxu reign (1908) and passed away on October 26, 1987, at the age of 80. He was the enlightener in both literature and martial arts for Mr. Zang Xuefan, the head of the Jilin province branch of the Liang-style Baguazhang.
Mr. Wei was originally from Funing County, Hebei Province but was born in Shenyang and taught martial arts at the Jilin Institute of Technology until his retirement. His father was a wealthy businessman who ran a restaurant, and Mr. Wei, out of necessity, began apprenticing at the restaurant after finishing elementary school. Despite the daily toil, he continued to self-study diligently, seeking advice from the restaurant’s patrons whenever he encountered difficulties. Thanks to his hard work and extraordinary intelligence, he made significant progress in his studies, laying a solid foundation for his future work and teaching. In his youth, Mr. Wei was frail and often ill, but was fortunate to be taken as a nominal disciple by Mr. Li Wenbiao, a renowned third-generation Baguazhang master and president of the Shenyang Martial Arts Association, who taught him Baguazhang.
After the “September 18 Incident,” Mr. Wei refused to serve as a puppet for the Japanese invaders and started the “Sanyu Study Society” in Changchun to support himself, where he took in many students. To further enrich his knowledge of classical literature, he went to the pseudo-Manchukuo’s “Wangdao Academy” as a working student, balancing work and study.
After Japan’s surrender, Mr. Wei once worked at the Finance Department in Dandong, which was taken over by the Nationalist Government, where he witnessed the corruption of the officialdom and refused to be part of it. He expressed his disdain through poetry: “Inspired by Chen Kaige’s assembly of immortals, causing widespread disdain among the distressed. Tell the disaster-stricken people not to cry in vain, as the generals revel in their glorious celebration.” He soon resigned and returned to Changchun to make a living by teaching. Mr. Wei had a profound knowledge of classical literature, was skilled in calligraphy, and was an expert in mathematics.
After the liberation, during the prosperous times, he taught classical literature and mathematics in high schools and universities, and later taught martial arts at the Jilin Institute of Technology. Since establishing the “Sanyu Study Society,” Mr. Wei has had numerous students in both literature and martial arts, with many coming to visit and seek his teaching.
Mr. Wei was known for his high moral standards, intelligence, broad knowledge, humility, and approachability, earning him the nickname “the Confucian in martial arts.”
