After more than 50 years, Ip Man's legacy, his kung fu descendants, came together to pay respect and celebrate the opening of the Ip Man Tong in his birthplace, Foshan, China. The Ip Man Tong is located in Foshan’s famous ancestral temple, where other legendary Kung Fu Masters are honored, to include the late renowned Hung Gar Grand Master, Wong Fai Hung. Following years of planning and fundraising efforts, led primarily by Ip Man's two sons, Ip Chun and Ip Ching, together with the Ving Tsun Athletic Association and the City Government of Foshan, the Ip Man Tong was realized and commemorated from November 8th to 10th, 2002 through several special activities.

The official Grand Opening and tour of the Ip Man Tong began on November 8th in Hong Kong. The tour first visited the port city of Shunde, the home of Ip Man’s teacher, Chan Wah Shun, as well as one of his most famous students, Bruce Lee. The group spent time at the Bruce Lee Memorial Hall and participated in a Kung Fu exchange with modern day descendants of Grandmaster Chun Wah Shun. These Wing Chun descendents interacted with and demonstrated for all tour participants. After the exchange, the tour group spent the remainder of the day exploring the town where Chan Wah Shun practiced and taught his Kung Fu.

On the second day, the tour moved on to Foshan to experience Southern China’s most fertile Kung Fu city. Foshan is famous throughout China for its Kung Fu schools. It also bears significant fame for the manufacture of handicrafts. The tour group did have an opportunity to visit some of the more famous craft shops. Grand Opening participants then proceeded to the Opening Ceremony of the Ip Man Tong. More than 1200 people from all over the world attended this special event. The Ceremony consisted of VIP speeches, Ribbon Cutting and demonstrations from different lineages of Wing Chun throughout Southern China. Following the ceremony participants toured the Ip Man Tong. Many of the most precious artifacts housed in the Ip Man Tong were donated by Grandmaster Ip Ching. Th Ip Man Tong activities were followed by a complimentary tour of the Wong Fai Hung Memorial Hall. The evening concluded with a Cocktail Dinner Party and a performance of Chinese Opera, on the same stage used by Wing Chun ancestors hundreds of years ago.

On the third day, members of the tour participated in a martial arts demonstration showcasing Ip Man lineage Wing Chun skills from around the world. Many Wing Chun Masters and Sifus exchanged skills and experience in an atmosphere of friendship and openness. Future plans call for using the Ip Man Tong to host Wing Chun Friendship Exchanges for participants world-wide. Certainly the Ving Tsun Museum will be closely allied in planning future events. Following this ground-breaking celebration for the Ip Man Wing Chun family, the Curator of the Ving Tsun Museum and now-famous Wing Chun historian, Benny Meng, continued his trip in China by traveling to the Southern Shaolin Temple to continue research on the roots of Wing Chun. The Southern Shaolin Temple is where history’s Wing Chun journey begins.