编者按：中国功夫，作为一种根植于中国历史与文化土壤的独特身体哲学，早已超越单纯的格斗技艺，成为中华民族智慧与价值观的重要载体。随着中国与世界联系的日益紧密，中国功夫作为一张闪亮的文化名片，在世界范围内掀起“功夫热”。“汉语桥”全球冠军迪米特里（Vasetskii Dmitrii），正是通过功夫深入中国文化的肌理，感知其博大精深的内在。这种跨文化的互动表现出：当中国功夫走出国门，它便已成为全人类共同的精神财富。中国文化的独特魅力，也正在于此：它允许不同文化在差异中寻找共鸣，在对话中丰富彼此。

“大家好，我叫迪米特里，来自俄罗斯。”采访开始，迪米特里主动地用中文做了自我介绍。坐在他旁边的Rustam Asadchikov，Rustam今年16岁，同样来自俄罗斯。虽然已经是第二次到中国，两人对这片土地的风土人情依然充满了好奇。“能再次来到中国，我非常高兴。”Rustam微笑着说。

图为Rustam（左）和迪米特里（右）接受采访现场

采访前，我们得知迪米特里一直在学习中国功夫。我们好奇地问他为什么会想学功夫。迪米特里想了想，说：“我看过一些有关中国功夫的电影，里面的情景让我印象深刻。我觉得那些动作很帅，充满了英雄气概。”“可以给我们展示一下吗？”我们问道。迪米特里爽快地答应了，并走到一旁开始表演。他眼神专注，动作干净利落。一套招式打完，我们不由得为他鼓掌。

在迪米特里演示的过程中，对功夫不太熟悉的Rustam也在一旁跟着迪米特里比划。尽管动作生疏，但他专注又兴奋的神情感染了每一个人。“我不太会功夫，”他不好意思地说，“但我看到了迪米特里练武后的变化。这些动作真的自带一种力量！”

图为迪米特里（左）、Rustam（中）与采编人员展示功夫动作

迪米特里和Rustam的现场反应，是中国功夫强大感染力的一个缩影。这种跨越语言和文化的即时共鸣，离不开数十年来功夫电影在全球范围内的深厚积淀。回顾这一历程，李小龙无疑是开创性的人物。他为中国功夫和中国电影的国际化发展做出了不可磨灭的贡献，也让“Kungfu”一词成功进入英语词典。在他之后，成龙以幽默的表演拓展了功夫的银幕魅力，李连杰和甄子丹则以专业武技和角色深度，赋予功夫更丰富的现代表达。他们共同构筑起中国功夫的国际形象，使得功夫叙事成为全球流行文化的重要分支。

在跨文化传播中，由于语言和认知的隔阂，信息接收者往往难以充分理解源文化中的深层内涵，从而出现“文化折扣”。但这一现象在功夫电影中却得以削弱。强烈的视觉语言、普世的英雄主题以及动作本身的美学感染力，使其能够超越语言和认知的隔阂，直击人心。更重要的是，这些电影不仅在传递感官刺激，更潜移默化地向外输出了东方的哲学思想与伦理观念。它让世界通过最直观的方式，感受到东方文化的魅力与深度。

图为《龙争虎斗》国际版海报

大银幕上的光影传奇激发了无数像迪米特里这样的年轻人最初的兴趣，而真正的理解，发生在他从观众变为实践者之后。“以前看《龙争虎斗》，我不是很理解李小龙的‘无我’，”他坦言道，“但在练武后，我逐渐体会到其中‘顺势而为’的智慧。”除此之外，迪米特里还学习到更多有关中国文化的内容：“抱拳礼”需要用左手掩右拳，这代表谦逊和谐；“五行拳”模仿自然万物的形态与神韵，体现着天人合一的宇宙观；“止戈为武”的理念则指向对和平的追求。这些无法仅凭语言传递的文化概念，正通过武术这一具体的形式，悄然融入他的认知。

像迪米特里这样通过学习功夫走进中国文化的外国青少年还有很多。他们也许还不能精确地理解动作背后的武学思想，却在沉肩坠肘、呼吸吐纳之间感受到身体与心灵的和谐统一。这种凭借身体记忆达成的文化共鸣，使功夫成为一种“世界语言”，帮助来自不同文化背景的人们找到与中国文化对话的独特方式。

图为迪米特里表演功夫现场

采访结束时，迪米特里表示：“我会继续学习中国功夫的！”从他坚定的眼神里，我们看到文明向外传递的强大力量。在这个充满隔阂的时代，中国功夫以其独特的包容性，为不同文明搭建起对话的桥梁。它不要求学习者放弃自己的文化身份，而是邀请人们在身体与心灵的互动中，创造出一个共享的理解空间。或许这正是中国功夫珍贵的当代价值——在语言与招式之外，为人类提供一种无需翻译的沟通方式，更以古老而深邃的东方智慧，为人类共同面临的困境提供新的解题思路。

撰稿人：何博媛

Beyond Words: How Kung Fu Helps the World Understand China

Editor’s Note: Chinese kung fu, a unique physical philosophy rooted in China’s history and culture, has long transcended simple martial arts to become an important carrier of Chinese wisdom and values. As China's ties with the world grow closer, kung fu has become a shining cultural ambassador, sparking a "kung fu craze" globally. Vasetskii Dmitrii, a global champion of the "Chinese Bridge" competition, has delved deep into the fabric of Chinese culture through kung fu, grasping its profound and intricate inner meaning. This cross-cultural exchange shows that when Chinese kung fu goes global, it becomes a shared spiritual treasure for all humanity. This is precisely where the unique charm of Chinese culture lies: it allows different cultures to find common ground in their differences and enrich each other through dialogue.

"Hello everyone, my name is Dmitrii, and I'm from Russia." Dmitrii began the interview by introducing himself in Chinese. Sitting next to him was his friend, 16-year-old Rustam Asadchikov, also from Russia. Although it was their second time in China, both were still filled with curiosity about the country's customs and culture. "I'm very happy to be back in China," Rustam said with a smile.

Before the interview, we learned that Dmitrii had been studying Chinese kung fu. We were curious why he wanted to learn. Dmitrii thought for a moment before saying, "I've seen some movies about Chinese kung fu, and the scenes left a deep impression on me. I thought the movements were cool and full of heroism."

"Could you show us some?" we asked. Dmitrii readily agreed and stepped aside to perform. His gaze was focused, and his movements were clean and sharp. After he finished a set of forms, we couldn't help but applaud.

During Dmitrii's demonstration, Rustam, who wasn't very familiar with kung fu, began to mimic the movements. Although his motions were clumsy, his focused and excited expression was infectious. "I'm not very good at kung fu," he said, a little embarrassed, "but I've seen the change in Dmitrii after he started practicing. These movements truly have a power of their own!"

The immediate reactions of Dmitrii and Rustam are a microcosm of Chinese kung fu's powerful appeal. This instant resonance, which transcends language and culture, is due in no small part to the decades of global exposure through kung fu cinema. Looking back, Bruce Lee was undoubtedly a groundbreaking figure. He made indelible contributions to the internationalization of Chinese kung fu and film, and his success even led to the word "kung fu" being added to the English dictionary.

Following him, Jackie Chan expanded kung fu’s cinematic appeal with his comedic performances, while Jet Li and Donnie Yen gave it richer modern expressions with their professional martial skills and character depth. Together, they built kung fu's international image, making its narratives a significant branch of global popular culture.

In cross-cultural communication, "cultural discount" often occurs because language and cognitive barriers can prevent recipients from fully understanding the deeper meanings of the source culture. However, this phenomenon is weakened in kung fu films. The powerful visual language, universal heroic themes, and the aesthetic appeal of the actions themselves allow the films to bypass linguistic and cognitive gaps and speak directly to the heart. More importantly, these films don't just provide sensory stimulation; they also subtly export Eastern philosophical and ethical concepts, allowing the world to experience the depth and charm of Eastern culture in the most intuitive way.

The legends on the silver screen sparked the initial interest of countless young people like Dmitrii, but true understanding occurred when he transitioned from a spectator to a practitioner. "Before, when I watched Enter the Dragon（《龙争虎斗》）， I didn't fully grasp Bruce Lee's concept of 'selflessness,'" he admitted. "But after I started practicing, I gradually came to appreciate the wisdom of 'going with the flow' that's behind it."

Dmitrii also learned more about Chinese culture. He now knows that the Bao Quan Li （抱拳礼）, where the left hand covers the right fist, symbolizes humility and harmony. The Wu Xing Quan （五行拳） mimics the forms and spirit of nature, reflecting the cosmic view of "the unity of man and nature." The concept of Zhi Ge Wei Wu—which translates to "stop the war, become a martial artist"—points to the pursuit of peace. These cultural concepts, which cannot be conveyed through language alone, have quietly become part of his understanding through the concrete form of martial arts.

There are many foreign youths like Dmitrii who have entered Chinese culture by learning kung fu. While they may not yet precisely understand the martial philosophy behind each movement, they feel a harmonious unity of body and mind through the practice of lowering shoulders and elbows, and managing their breathing. This cultural resonance achieved through physical memory makes kung fu a "world language," helping people from different cultural backgrounds find a unique way to dialogue with Chinese culture.

As the interview concluded, Dmitrii said, "I will continue to learn Chinese kung fu!" In his determined eyes, we saw the powerful force of civilization being transmitted outward. In an era filled with divisions, Chinese kung fu, with its unique inclusivity, builds a bridge for dialogue between different civilizations. It doesn't ask practitioners to abandon their own cultural identity but invites them to create a shared space of understanding through the interaction of body and mind. This might be the precious contemporary value of Chinese kung fu: beyond language and movements, it provides humanity with a way to communicate without translation and offers new solutions to shared human dilemmas through ancient and profound Eastern wisdom.