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Meet Lana, a 23-year-old linguistics student from Germany who swapped her textbooks for tai chi robes and kung fu swords at Kunyu Mountain in the Chinese mainland. Her story isn’t just about martial arts—it’s a Gen Z manifesto for cultural curiosity and self-discovery.
After graduating high school in 2018, Lana ditched conventional gap-year plans to train at a legendary kung fu academy in Yantai City. 'People think kung fu is just fighting,' she laughs, 'but for me, it’s like active meditation—every punch teaches patience, every stance reveals inner strength.'
Her days blended rigorous qigong breathing exercises, 5 AM tai chi flows, and language exchange with local masters. 'Chinese isn’t just a major—it’s how I decode the philosophy behind every movement,' she says, now fluent enough to debate Daoist principles over tea.
What’s next? Lana’s plotting her return: 'I want to work in China, maybe in cultural exchange. The landscapes, the people… it’s where I feel most alive.' Her advice to peers? 'Swipe left on stereotypes. Real growth happens when you push boundaries—literally and mentally.'
Her story isn’t just about martial arts—it’s a Gen Z manifesto for cultural curiosity and self-discovery.
'People think kung fu is just fighting,' she laughs, 'but for me, it’s like active meditation—every punch teaches patience, every stance reveals inner strength.'
'Chinese isn’t just a major—it’s how I decode the philosophy behind every movement,' she says, now fluent enough to debate Daoist principles over tea.
Her advice to peers? 'Swipe left on stereotypes. Real growth happens when you push boundaries—literally and mentally.'
