
A Chinese village recently came to fame when it emerged that everyone who lives there is a martial arts expert.

The self-sustaining village, deep in the mountains of Tianzhu, central China, seems to have shunned the outside world.

Ganxi Dong village is home to the Dong people, one of the 56 recognised ethnic minorities in China.

Incredibly, everyone in the secluded village knows a different style of kung fu, reported People's Daily Online.

A rural village recently came to fame when it emerged that everyone who lives there is a martial arts expert who practise as they farm

Self-sustaining village, deep in the lush-green mountains of Tianzhu, China, seems to have shunned the outside world with its tradition

Residents pursue different styles of the sport so several types of kung fu are practised in the village, almost unique to each individual

The residents compete against each other to improve their skills and their arena is not limited to land. Above, two people fight in stream

People of all ages practise kung fu in the village, which has historically done so. It's not clear how long it has been a martial art world

According to reports, a few different types of kung fu are practised in the village.

Everyone is well-practised in the art, which seems to be their only hobby aside from farming.

Their weapons range from just fists to sticks and pitchforks.

Incredible images of the village has recently emerged, which has been widely shared on Chinese media.

They show a few traditional-style buildings in a rural setting.

In the picturesque landscape, village folk of all ages brandish sticks and swords while mid-practise.

They train by fighting each other as well as on their own and there are no exceptions.

It's not clear why everyone practises martial arts or how long it's been the case.

Village folk train with and without weapons, which range from long wooden sticks and pitchforks to swords. Shoes are optional as well

They train each and every day by fighting each other as well as on their own; and there are no exceptions to this long and unique tradition

Boy, above, trains and practises with his dad. The moves are often inspired by wild animals such as dragons, snakes, tigers and leopards

As there are no exceptions to the kung fu practise, even girls are expected to become experts in whatever style of kung fu they choose

It's not clear how they decide what kung fu style to learn as there are so many different styles practised in the village since the beginning

Locals have two theories about their unusual situation.

One claims that the area suffered regular heavy attacks from wild beasts that would kill their livestock and injure the villagers.

To try and combat the problem, six families had to pick a strong youth to create, develop and learn martial arts.

They modeled their actions on the moves of dragons, snakes, tigers and leopards.

As each family trained in a different type of movement, different strains of kung fu were invented.

To continue the tradition, each family had to continue training under their strain of martial arts.

Another saying goes that when the families first moved to the area to set up a village, they were frequently pillaged by their neighbours.

In order to protect themselves, the villagers invited a two martial arts experts to teach them the art of combat.

The skills they learnt was then passed on to the rest of the villagers.

However, since it has been a tradition for a long time, no one can be certain of the real reason.

Man above trains with a two-pronged pitchfork. It's a classical Chinese weapon. Other villagers also use wooden sticks and swords

Locals have two theories about their unusual tradition, both involved protecting themselves from attack from the outside world