Students from Sea Cloud Hall at the 1st International Traditional Chinese Culture Exchange Festival in Belfast, October 2025
The key points in this article are:
- In October, students from Sea Cloud Hall took part in a Chinese cultural exchange in Belfast
- The event was hosted by the Irish Wushu Association under the Presidency of Grandmaster Zhu Changhai, a frequent visitor to Sea Cloud Hall
- The event allowed Sea Cloud students to demonstrate the Lee Family Taoist Arts and learn from other practitioners based across the UK and Ireland
What was the International Traditional Chinese Culture Exchange Festival?
The International Traditional Chinese Culture Exchange Festival was a four-day event hosted by the Irish Wushu Association at the University of Ulster in Belfast(1). This event, the first of its kind, brought together practitioners of tai chi and traditional wushu (martial arts) from across the UK and Ireland to meet distinguished guests from China and the region of Taiwan.
The event was Chaired by Grandmaster Zhu Changhai, a master of Yang, Chen, Sun and Wu-styles of tai chi. He is one of very few practitioners outside China to hold 8th Duan level and he is renowned globally for his humility, skill, and experience.
Grandmaster Zhu Changhai is a close friend of Laoba Desmond Murray, President of the International Taoist Society and the Lee Family Taoist Arts. Because of their friendship, Laoba Desmond is also Vice President of the Irish Wushu Association.
Who was involved at the event?
The event included demonstrations by tai chi, wushu, and qi gong masters and workshops by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners. These included the Xianglong Taiji Circle, London International Wang Style, and Sanmen Boxing Federation.
The event organisers and sponsors, to whom we are very grateful, included the Northern Ireland Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Welfare Association (NI), the Weihai Wushu Association, the Confucius Institute at Ulster University, the Chinese Wushu Association, and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Company.
What happened?
Over the course of the weekend, students from Sea Cloud undertook a Duanwei grading, an internationally recognised assessment of their ability in the Lee Family Taoist Arts. The assessments were conducted in front of two Chinese masters, Master Zhu from Belfast and Master Liu from London.
We are very proud to announce that Claire Scollan, one of our senior teachers, has been recommended for her 3rd Duan and others for their 2nd and 1st. Their assessments will be ratified by Chinese authorities and confirmed in due course.
Also in attendance was the Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, who is said to be thinking about taking up tai chi himself. The event also featured on the local news(2).
What will happen next at Sea Cloud Hall?
This exchange marks a new chapter for Sea Cloud students as we play our part in promoting the Lee Family Taoist Arts to the world. We are excited at the possibility of hosting similar cultural exchanges at Sea Cloud Hall in the future.
Notes:
- Irish Wushu Association, Invitation Letter and Welcome Pack, limited distribution
- BBC News report, online https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwypwwjj32go [viewed November 2025]
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