Southern White Crane kung fu is a style developed by the lady Fang Qui Niang in the mid 17th Century.

Is the based on the movements of the white crane ( bird ).

It is popular in the Fu jian region of China , and has a particular concentration around Yong Chun city and county.

White Crane kung fu has influenced many other styles in particular:

• Traditional karate systems from Okinawa
• Wing Chun ( Yong Chun in Cantonese )
• Five Ancestors

Alaro

The charming landscape around Alaro is ideal terrain for walking, trekking and hiking. The most popular route is up to the Castell d'Alaro, to explore the ruins of a Christian fortress and Arabian water tanks. Another excellent route takes you to Orient (which belongs to Bunyola) through the locally named pass of S'Escaleta, or you may like to try other interesting hikes to the Puig de S'Alcadena and to the Clot d'Almedra. While in the area you can visit the areas of Los d'Amunts and Ses Rotes, home to many writers and famous artists and the birthplace of Perellon, Mompo, Coronado, Alex Llull, etc. Nova Square has a sculpture by Enric Broglia and Rossello Square has one by Solveig Pripp, both with beautiful gardens.

Monuments

Castell d'Alaro. The first historical records of Castell d'Alaro dates back to 900. The Christians had occupied it for some 9 years so it is assumed that some type of fortress had to exist, possibly Roman. The Arabs finished its construction occupied the fortress for more than 300 years, until the re-conquest by King Jaume I in 1231. One hundred years later, after the castle had began to lose importance, restoration work was started. In the 17th century the sanctuary of The Mare de Deu of the Refugi was added and in 1741 the military garrison was removed. In the year 1811 The Royal Patrimony sold the castle to a private buyer and it later passed in to the hands of Alaro's town hall. Today the castle is a delightful place to visit for a breathtaking panoramic view of Mallorca. At a height of 800m those making the climb are well rewarded. A local tavern is also a welcome stop near the summit. The castle, has a strengthened enclosure on the hill top, taking advantage of its natural inaccessibility. Inside the walls is the castle, hermitage, hostelry and a beautiful grove of evergreen oaks. In the south tower in theold Moorish prison - the cave of San Antonio.

folklore

Cabrit and Bassa: Local legend tells of the meeting in 1285, between the two Mallorcan independence fighters, Guillem Cabrit and Guillem Bassa and the army of King Alfonso of Aragon. The independence fighters were invited to surrender by the invaders of Alfonso, the exchange went as follows: 'In whose name' shouted Cabrit (Cabrit inMallorcan means Kid goat) 'In the name of Alfonso' (Alfonso being a type of fish in Mallorcan) came the reply.

In a play on words, Cabrit replied that he preferred his fish served with parsley. The reply from the leader of the attackers was that he preferred his kid roasted on a spit. The Mallorcans were defeated and the irony of the puns was not lost as Cabrit and Bassa were roasted alive in the Plaza del Lledoner in Alaro. Cabrit and Bassa were then revered by the locals as Saints.

The witches of the Cadena: The castle at the top of Puig des Castell stands opposite another lonely mountain: Puig de S'Alcadena, cadena means chain or link in Spanish. Legend tells that at one time, when the Castell de Alaro was under Moorish occupation, they constructed a cable linking the two peaks as a means of escape from the castle. However a more recent version believes that witches spend their days weaving a snow white fabric which at night they stretch between the two peaks, then spend their nights skatingback and forth on the fabric, 'dancing and pulling faces until dawn when they return to their lairs like owls.'

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