Wudang
/ˈwuː.dɑːŋ/noun
Wudang is a sacred mountain range in Hubei, China, renowned as a center of Daoism and traditional martial arts.
Did you know?Daoist tradition identifies Wudang with Zhenwu, the Dark Warrior deity, while the Ming emperor Yongle massively expanded its temples in the fifteenth century.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Chinese
武
“The character later read wǔ, meaning martial, military, or connected with warfare.”
Old Chinese
Chinese
当
“The character later read dāng, with meanings including to face, stand against, be appropriate, or ought to; its exact role in the place-name is uncertain.”
Medieval China
Chinese
武当
“The established Chinese name of the mountain range, whose deeper toponymic interpretation remains debated rather than being a securely translatable phrase.”
14th–15th Century
Chinese
武当山
“Wudang Mountain became an increasingly prominent Daoist pilgrimage center, especially under Ming imperial patronage.”
19th–20th Century
English
Wu-tang / Wudang
“The name entered Western writing through older romanizations such as Wu-tang and later standardized Mandarin pinyin as Wudang.”
Modern English
English
Wudang
“A proper noun referring to the Chinese mountain range, its Daoist tradition, and associated martial-arts lineages.”