The
Central Guoshu Institute ; was established in
Nanjing by the
Kuomintang government of the
Republic of China in 1928 for the propagation of
Chinese martial arts, and was an important center of martial arts during the
Nanjing decade.
Guoshu (also spelled
Kuoshu) "national art" was the term for martial arts adopted by the Republic of China at the time. The institute was headed by five selected masters, including
Fu Chen Sung,
Wan Laisheng,
Gu Ruzhang, Li Liejun (1882–1946),
Li Jinglin, and Chang Chih Chiang (Zhang Zhijiang , 1882–1966). Along with the
Jing Wu Athletic Association (established in 1910), the academy played a crucial role in the transmission of traditional Chinese martial arts into the 20th century.