Shanghai Summer 2025: City Life, Family Ties, and the Kung Fu Path

My time in Shanghai this summer has gone by quickly, as it always does. Each visit is both meaningful and productive, but more than that, this city never fails to leave me inspired and reinvigorated as I prepare to return to Canada.

The City of Shanghai

Shanghai is unlike any other city in the world. A high-tech, ultra-modern metropolis of more than thirty million people, it stands as the financial center of Asia and one of the most dynamic cities anywhere – comparable to New York and London. It is a city that never truly sleeps—its pace is relentless, its energy unmistakable. Some people find it overwhelming; others thrive on it. For me, being connected to a place so vibrant and alive is always an invigorating experience. Shanghai reminds me that momentum and vitality are not only features of the city, but qualities we must also cultivate in our own lives.

Shanghai’s vitality is reflected not only in its culture but also in its economy. In the first quarter of 2025, the city posted a 5.1% GDP increase, with growth targets of around 5% for the year, supported by strong performances in trade, real estate, and consumption. This strength is part of a broader momentum across China as a whole, with the IMF recently raising its forecast for China’s 2025 GDP growth to 4.8%, up from an earlier 4.0% estimate. Both Shanghai and the country more broadly continue to position themselves as dynamic engines of growth, balancing modern innovation with global economic influence.

Everyday Life in Shanghai

Beyond its skyline and economic stature, Shanghai reveals its character in the details of daily life. For food lovers like my family and me, this city is heaven. Every imaginable cuisine is available, but we often find ourselves drawn back to the bold, fiery flavors of Hunan and Sichuan cooking. Coffee culture has flourished for over a decade now—Shanghai is now among the largest coffee-consuming cities in the world, with cafés opening on nearly every corner. Starbucks alone operates almost 160 stores in Shanghai, and over 7,000 across China. And in true Shanghai fashion, even something as simple as ordering a latte is streamlined: WeChat Pay and Alipay dominate daily transactions, making cash nearly obsolete and turning electronic payment into second nature for residents and visitors alike.

For my children, the small rituals are just as important. Their mornings begin with a walk to the corner vendor to buy ji dan bing, a familiar and simple joy that quickly becomes the anchor of their day. These small routines mirror a larger truth about Shanghai itself—that every corner holds something worth discovering. From alleyways lined with traditional architecture to newly redeveloped districts, whether on foot or by bike, there is always something new to explore. The city’s bike paths along the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek, in particular, blend scenic beauty with the energy of urban life.

Family and Roots

For my family, these trips carry a deeper meaning. They are not simply holidays, but opportunities to reconnect with our roots. Visiting with grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles is an important way of keeping bonds strong across generations. For my children, it is an immersion in cross-culturalism that no classroom could replicate. They are reminded that they are not only Canadian, but also deeply connected to this side of their heritage. Walking the streets of Shanghai, eating the food, and listening to stories from their grandmother helps them understand their identity in a way that is real and embraced.

My Own Path: Kung Fu and Lineage

For me, Shanghai is inseparable from my martial path. It was here, more than twenty years ago, that I began training in Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu under my teacher, Master Kai Uwe Pel. That first step became a central thread of some of my life’s most important endeavors and work. Returning each year is both a renewal of personal practice and a reconnection with the roots of a larger lineage, one that stretches back through my teacher and past masters to Master Luo Guang Yu, who brought Praying Mantis Kung Fu to Shanghai in the early 20th century.

Teaching

This summer, I had the privilege of leading a three-day seminar series in Shanghai titled “Kung Fu for Modern Living.” The program introduced participants to the full spectrum of traditional practice—physical, internal, and moral. Day One focused on martial training and practical self-defense; Day Two explored meditation and qigong for health and longevity; Day Three examined Confucian philosophy and its relevance to applied leadership in contemporary life. This seminar was a reminder that the depth of Kung Fu cannot be reduced to combat alone; it is a system that cultivates strength, clarity, and integrity across the whole of life.

Connecting with Old Friends and Masters

I was also honoured to spend time Master Bao Wen Guang, a lifelong teacher of Eagle Claw Kung Fu (Ying Zhua Fan Zi Quan) and a respected instructor at the Shanghai Jingwu Association. Now 81 years old and long retired from formal teaching, Master Bao’s passion for the art remains undiminished. Our discussions—about training, teaching, and the meaning of Kung Fu—were a powerful reminder of the strength of tradition when it is lived with sincerity.

Equally meaningful was reconnecting with my longtime Kung Fu brother and friend, Andy Best, whom I have known for more than twenty years. Our conversations always range widely—family, Kung Fu, writing, philosophy, even politics—but they inevitably return to the vision and responsibility of carrying a tradition forward. Such bonds remind me that martial arts are not only about the physical practice, but also about the fellowship, connection, and accountability that sustain a path into the future. Andy continues to reside in Shanghai to this day.

Writing and Reflection

In addition to training and teaching, I also completed several writing projects during my time here. Two articles in particular stand out: Reflections on Tradition and Return to Meaning in Martial Practice and The Historical Context of Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu in the Late Qing Dynasty and Republican Era. Both were written as an effort to share with readers the lasting significance of tradition, and to illuminate the ways in which the environment, practice, history, and meaning are inseparably connected. Writing, for me, is another important dimension of martial practice—an extension of the mind and same discipline and creativity that Kung Fu demands on the training floor.

Attending the Nishan Forum

A further highlight of this summer was attending the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, held in Qufu, Shandong Province—the birthplace of Confucius. Shandong is also renowned as the birthplace of Praying Mantis Kung Fu, which gives the region a special resonance for me personally. This two-day gathering brought together more than 400 scholars from around the world to explore the theme “Beauty in Diversity: Nurturing Understanding Among Civilizations for Global Modernization.” Amid a distinguished lineup of keynote speakers, Canadian Professor Roger Ames delivered the opening remarks, setting the tone for thoughtful dialogue on culture, ethics, and modernity. The Forum was a reminder of the continuing relevance of Confucian thought in today’s world, and it was deeply inspiring to listen to and learn from many esteemed scholars whom I admire and have long respected.

More Than a Martial Art—A Living Tradition

Kung Fu is certainly about physical training. But it is also about discipline, awareness, and the ongoing transmission of a heritage greater than any one individual. It asks us to honor our roots while making them meaningful in the present.

At Northern Sage Kung Fu Academy, we do not simply train—we continue a lineage. Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu has been handed down through generations, and we are its present stewards. It is a living tradition, one that remains as relevant today as when it first took form over two hundred years ago in Shandong province.

For those who feel the call—whether to strengthen the body, sharpen the mind, or deepen one’s character—this is the path. No shortcuts, no gimmicks, only honest training and meaningful fellowship.

Come train with us. Join a tradition that lasts. Move with purpose. Practice with integrity. Live the tradition.

About The Author

Nathan A. Wright
Managing Director & Chief Instructor
Northern Sage Kung Fu Academy, Calgary, Canada
Chief Representative, Luo Guang Yu Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu, Canada and China
Email: nathan.wright@northernsagekungfu.com
Website: NorthernSageKungFu.com

Nathan is the Managing Director and Chief Instructor at Northern Sage Kung Fu Academy, and Chief Representative of Luo Guang Yu Seven Star Praying Mantis in Canada and China. With over 25 years of experience living in China, he is deeply committed to passing on traditional martial arts in its most sincere form. As part of his passion Nathan regularly writes on related topics of self-defense, combat, health, philosophy, ethics, personal cultivation, and leadership.