Foshan, hometown of movie star Bruce Lee Siu Lung and martial arts legend Huang Feihong, is considering promoting its development by boosting the wushu industry, also known as kungfu.

Wushu has been popular in the city since the 1600s and has produced a lot of masters. However, very few of the many wushu academies there are making a profit.

The city's sports authorities are willing to organize wushu competitions to promote the industry but said more study was needed for big events, the Guangzhou Daily said.

Professor Li Mingqing of Foshan University, an exponent of the Plum Blossom Stumps, the art of fighting and balancing on stumps, said the painstaking practice required for wushu had restricted its development and popularity, while there were too many wushu academies in the city.

Neighboring Hong Kong and Macao and famous in Southeast Asia, Foshan is believed to have the foundation to develop wushu and tourism. Its advanced economy will also help.

Experts have also suggested attracting enterprises and citizens into the industry.

(Shenzhen Daily August 11, 2003)