As Tianjin hosts the first edition of the World Youth Wushu Championships to take place on the Chinese mainland, actor Wu Jing, image ambassador of the International Wushu Federation, has described the martial art as the essence of oriental culture.

Wu said that wushu bears the Chinese cultural connotation of "harmony in diversity" and that "stopping war is the true meaning of martial arts".

He added that spreading wushu to the world is to convey this core oriental wisdom: "We need to use simple and easy-to-understand ways to let the public feel wushu, integrating it into daily life."

Wu said that the promotion of wushu should be down-to-earth and resonate with people from all walks of life.

Tianjin, a city with a longstanding wushu heritage, is an ideal stage for this youth event, Wu added, saying he hoped that the young athletes would not only demonstrate the spirit of wushu in the competition, but also act as cultural messengers after the tournament.