An Woestenborghs (武致柔)
(1955–2019)
Taoist practitioner, educator, co-founder, and visual documentarian
Bibliographical & Memorial Entry Identity
Name: An Woestenborghs
Chinese / Taoist names: Wu Zhirou (武致柔), Wu An (武安)
An Woestenborghs was a Belgian Taoist practitioner, educator, photographer, and co-founder of the China Arts College (CAC), and later the Taoist Alchemical Studies Centre (TASC). From the foundation of the institute in 1990 onward, she played a sustained role in teaching, institutional continuity, research activity, and visual documentation.
Education, Training, and Teachers
Originally trained as a physical education teacher, An Woestenborghs began studying Yang Style Taijiquan (Zheng Manqing tradition) in Belgium around 1980.
Within the CAC/TASC context, she pursued long-term Taoist and Internal Martial Arts practice under the guidance of several key teachers, including:
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Shen Hongxun — Taiji Wuxigong and Taijiquan
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Fu Qinglong — Taijiquan and Internal Martial Arts
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Li Ziming — Baguazhang (introduced through seminars and instructional encounters).
Her training developed through a combination of:
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European-based instruction
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seminars and workshops
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research travel and study contexts connected to CAC/TASC
These teacher–student relationships situate her practice within the broader Taoist and Internal Martial Arts milieu of the late 20th century.
Teaching Role at China Arts College
In addition to her own training, An Woestenborghs taught at China Arts College, contributing to the transmission of Internal Martial Arts and Taoist practices within the institute.
Her teaching role was characterized by:
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continuity rather than public visibility
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close integration with the pedagogical structure of CAC
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emphasis on disciplined, embodied practice.
She functioned as part of the core teaching body of China Arts College, alongside Prof. dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen.
Institutional Role
In 1990, An Woestenborghs co-founded China Arts College together with Prof. Dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen. Over the following decades, she contributed to:
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institutional organization and continuity
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coordination of activities and events
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pedagogical support and teaching
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development of research and study contexts
Her involvement supported the stability and long-term development of CAC/TASC during its formative and subsequent phases.
Taoist Practice and Research Context
An Woestenborghs participated in long-term Taoist study and research activities, including:
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sustained Internal Martial Arts practice (Taijiquan; later exposure to Baguazhang and Shidaxing)
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Taoist cultural research trips and conferences in China
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collaborative research trajectories within the CAC/TASC framework
These activities were carried out in close collaboration with Prof. Dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen and visiting teachers, forming part of the institute’s broader engagement with Taoist studies and internal cultivation traditions
Photography and Visual Work
In addition to her teaching and organizational roles, An Woestenborghs acted as the principal in-house photographer for China Arts College / TASC.
She was responsible for most of the photographic documentation used to record:
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classes and daily training
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seminars and conferences
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research journeys and institutional exchanges
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the everyday life of the institute
Through this work, she created a visual archive that has become an essential part of the historical memory of CAC/TASC. Much of the photographic material currently used on the Taoist-Lifestyle.com website originates from her documentation.
Alongside this documentary role, she also developed photographic art as an independent creative practice, both individually and in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen. In several collaborative works, An Woestenborghs created the photographic material, while Dan K.J. Vercammen contributed poetic or textual components. These combined visual–textual works reflect a shared contemplative and artistic orientation rooted in Taoist sensibilities.
Her photography thus functioned both as documentation and as a reflective creative medium, grounded in attention, timing, and presence. Her photographic work was shown in several group and solo exhibitons and is collected internationally.
Memorial Note
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Within the Taoist-Lifestyle and TASC context, An Woestenborghs is remembered for her quiet dedication, discipline, and sense of responsibility toward practice, teaching, and documentation.
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Her combined roles as practitioner, educator, organizer, and photographer embody a mode of Taoist engagement in which embodied discipline and careful observation were inseparable. Through her work, she contributed enduringly to both the living practice and the preserved memory of the lineage.